His Vampire Heart
by LiveBreatheVampires
Summary: Humans are taken as Vampire's blood companions. When Elena Gilbert is taken away to Damon Salvatore, she knew that her life would change forever. But Will it change to better or worse? Got inspired from book 6 of tvd, Shadow Souls. Please read and review!
1. Prologue

A\N So… Those that read my stories heard me say sometime before that I am **Obsessed** with Shadow Souls, book 6 of Vampire Diaries. The way that humans end up slaves to vampires and Damon protects her from all this… Omg, I like it. So here is a story kinda similar where humans are being forced to live with vampires, and it also has some similarities with the Procedure in True Blood "She's mine" blah blah.

**I understand that there are already similar stories about humans being 'blood companions' written here on fanfiction . net. However it didn't stop me from uploading this since I have my own plot. Anyway hope you enjoy, please tell me if I should continue or not. This story is obviously AU and strictly Delena.**

The Title might change, however I got the idea from the song Vampire Heart by HIM.

Rating: T

Elena Gilbert hurried back home half heartedly at about ten o'clock in the evening. Usually, ten o'clock was the time Elena got out of the house but she knew perfectly well that the roads weren't safe anymore.

Not since they came out of the coffins.

Mystic Falls was always a target for incidents and daily dramas, however Elena didn't imagine that someday it could turn to _Vampire _dramas. Vampirism had only existed in fiction before all of it happened. But now, vampires were slowly taking over the world walking among the living as if everything was normal, taking over America and the entire world.

Everyone was afraid, people were hiding their children and the few that rebelled against vampires were never seen again. It was only a few days before that the vampires made a truce with humans-Vampires weren't stupid, of course. Blood was the thing they needed and if humans were getting killed everyday they could also end vampirism. The humans didn't have any choice but to accept the truce that the vampires proposed: Every vampire had to 'mark' one human and feed only from them. This way, human life was being preserved. However, Elena knew that neither the government nor anyone had a say in the vampires' choices and lifestyles. They could kill anyone they wanted because they showed no remorse. She heard stories everyday about missing people, and though lots of newspapers covered them with simply 'mysterious disappearances', Elena knew perfectly well that these poor victims were actually chewed on till the point of death. Lots of law enforcements and departments tried to protect humans as much as possible but vampires always seemed to be one step ahead so the only choice was to accept the heartbreaking truce of vampires to feed on one person. After all, it would only take vampires a second to go on a killing rampage to prove that a 'truce' is better.

However, In Mystic Falls it was different. There was no fear and Elena had never seen a vampire in Mystic Falls. This distraction started in Northern Virginia, however she couldn't help not to protect herself as much as possible and the only way to do it was to walk in the daylight and stay indoors in nighttime. Unless a vampire marks you as his human a person could try and escape-but once you were carried away as a human slave, like Elena thought, you had no choice other to stay with them. No one seemed to care about each other anymore; families were gathering around in houses their main interest to protect their family and no one else.

In a certain way Elena was lucky, because in Mystic Falls everything seemed normal. But she knew that any second vampires will step their foot in Mystic Falls and all the families will end up just like the ones in Northern Virginia-scared and locked up in their own houses praying for life.

Elena was a few meters to enter inside her house when she heard a strange sound coming from the trees. Her eyes widened as she hurried quickly, fear already overwhelming her as she prayed silently. However, she sighed a sigh of relief as a small puppy was the one that was causing her all the fright, and she immediately took the puppy in her arms finding comfort in it. It was cold and she wrapped a part of his jacket around him before she hurried safely inside.

.

.

"I'll have a coffee," Elena smiled the next morning before school. It was her daily routine: Going to the Mystic Grill for coffee and then head over to school to meet with Caroline and Bonnie. Matt was studying her from the next side of the grill and she smiled weakly at him. She never meant to hurt Matt, but after her parents' death all her attention focused on Jeremy and dating wasn't a thing on her mind.

She slowly sipped on her coffee before leaving a tip on the table and heading to school.

"1950's dance!" Caroline was saying excitedly. "Please tell me you're coming, Elena-I'll tease and straighten your hair myself!" 

"Care, I…"

"I knew it! Please, please, please, Elena! Don't make me beg, we have been waiting for this since last year…"

Yeah, that was before my parents died, Elena wanted to say. However, she bit her red lips and smiled at Caroline.

"Okay… fine," She drawled. "But I'm leaving before eleven. Definetly."

"Come on, Elena… We are lucky. They are taking precautions in Mystic Falls. Alaric Saltzman started an anti-vampire club or whatever it is. They are taking precautions. Teenage life is precious, Elena-If you don't go out…"

"Okay! I get it, Care," Elena interrupted with a smile. "Come to my house at seven. We'll get ready together."

"Perfect," Caroline chuckled like a child that had just received his most-wanted toy.

Bonnie joined in a few minutes later and after the girls prepared everything for the dance the three went to their separate ways when the first bell rang.

.

.

"I like the red one better on you," Caroline objected as Elena modeled about three dresses Caroline had brought her. "I mean, look, it suits your body perfectly. You are fit. Besides, this one makes your boobs jut out."

Elena rolled her eyes in annoyance and Caroline raised her eyebrows. "What's that look for? You know I'm telling the truth."

"Fine," Elena growled, there was no use in competing with Caroline. She put on the red dress and started to apply her makeup, keeping it as natural and simple as possible. Golden and brown eyeshadow always suited Elena, along with a touch of her blackest eyeliner. On the other hand, Caroline was doing a more smoked out eye makeup, focusing on strong cat-eyes.

"I'm ready from my makeup," Elena called out, and they immediately started working on their hair.

"Don't be home late tonight, Elena," Jenna called from downstairs.

"Yeah, we don't want the vampires eating you," Jeremy smirked from the next room.

"Hey, vampires can be everywhere!" Jenna yelled from downstairs. "These are serious things, Jer…"

"Not when you're stoned," Elena hissed underneath her breath.

When they finally were ready, Caroline drove Elena to the school where everything was decorated perfectly for the dance. Food was already being served and by the time they met with Bonnie other students were already looking at Elena-the shining girl, as many described her.

But Elena was never proud of herself and she most definitely wasn't a bitch. Many envied her but only Elena knew herself: She knew that she was just a broken hearted girl that lost her parents. And she also knew that she didn't want to be here in this stupid dance and cursed herself for letting Caroline actually drag her to this.

Bonnie and Caroline were already on the dancefloor and Elena had just refused the third invitation for a dance. She sipped on her drink, sitting down elegantly on the couch that was in a corner, her high heels already hurting, as she watched others have fun. But the others didn't have a stoned little brother at home, or had to enter a house that was once filled with happiness but that now was turned into a house of memories that haunted Elena every night.

She found herself moving through the back door, eager to find a quiet area and have some fresh air. It was a cold night, however Elena felt herself comforted by the soft and gentle breeze that was surrounding her. The scent of wet trees quickly took over and the sky was raven black, just a few stars shining. Yes, her parents' death had badly affected her. She had changed, she had put up a façade that none of her friends could ever understand. But it was the only way to move on, but unfortunately this façade ended everytime Elena was alone, either in her bedroom or completely alone. Tears streamed down Elena's cheeks as she looked in the sky, hoping that her parents would hear her cries and help her. Help her save Jeremy. Help her grow up. Help her live again.

As she was quietly whispering prayers, Elena heard footsteps from behind her. But before she could scream, she had a hand covering her mouth and then darkness overwhelmed her, falling weak and pliable in a man's arms.

Elena's vision started to get clear however this didn't help the panic that took over her as she found herself in the backseat of a strange car, handcuffed. The driver shot her a cold look and then a devilish grin.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

"What's going on?" Elena demanded, panicking. "What are you doing? Stop the car!" 

"Damn, I envy the guy that will take you… I wish I can keep you. You sound tough and determined. But take my advice, being those two things doesn't help you when you're with a vampire." He added.

Realization hit Elena that her worst nightmare had come true. The man nodded at her realization, smiling. "Do you want an explanation, dear? Or a demonstration, I'll gladly show you my fangs…" 

"Where are you taking me?" Elena's voice cracked, her tears flashing with tears.

"To your new residence," He smirked, looking at her directly from the mirror. "To Damon Salvatore."

_**So what do you think? Please leave a Review and tell me if I should continue or not!**_


	2. A new life

I decided to continue this! So hear it is, please enjoy and review!

~Amy

Damon Salvatore.

The name was new to Elena, however a shiver ran up and down her spine at the thought of becoming a vampire's slave. Sure, due to the truce they made humans had rights, but who would be there to stop him from hurting her if he decided not to follow the rules at all? Everyone was scared.

As Elena stared at the digital clock in the car she knew that each minute that passed meant another minute of loss of hope, loss of freedom and loss of pretty much everything. Most of all, Elena was afraid. Not just for her, but also for her family and friends. What if they take Jenna too and her brother will remain by his own, unable to cope? What about her? How many days will she live before he snaps and kills her? What was a vampire's bite like, was it going to hurt more than it should?

Lost in a train of thoughts Elena didn't even realize that the car had stopped, and the door was quickly opened. She found herself pulled from the car and they were standing on an enormous mansion with a very nice surrounded area. Even though Elena was beyond scared and heartbroken she still couldn't deny the fact that the house was beautiful, it was what there was inside that scared her half to death. She didn't realize that the vampire that kidnapped her was calling her name until she found herself roughly pulled from her arm.

The vampire rang the bell and patiently waited, scanning Elena from head to toe. When the door opened, Elena saw a handsome man with shining bluish-green eyes and raven black hair. Was she at the right place?

"I brought you the girl, Mr. Salvatore," The other one was mumbling, and Elena's poor heart skipped a beat. Salvatore? So this was Damon Salvatore, the one that was taking her freedom away? How could someone this beautiful be a monster?

Damon stepped outside but the moment he saw Elena his face turned to that of confusion, question and a gasp. He studied her and Elena's eyes remained on the ground, not being able to look at him in the eye. "Katherine?" She thought she heard him murmur, but then he was taking more steps towards her slowly, and she remained frozen as a statue.

"I'll be careful if I were you, she looks tough," Elena heard her kidnapper say.

But Damon seemed to ignore him. "What's your name, girl?" He demanded, not asked, as he stared at her face. Elena was getting more and more scared by the way he was looking at her. She bit her lip, but quickly thought twice as she knew perfectly well that it's better if she co-operated. "E-Elena," She whimpered.

"Elena what?" He demanded again, however his voice was lower this time.

"E-Elena G-Gilbert."

"Remove her handcuffs," Damon ordered to the other one, and the latter quickly released Elena's wrist. Damon then handed him a packet which seemed like money and he vanished, leaving Elena alone with Damon. She rubbed her sore wrists were the handcuffs had bitten into her skin. Damon eyed her over one last time before he ordered Elena to go in, and Elena did so shaking slightly as she entered the house.

"You have never seen a vampire before, have you?" He smirked at her, but Elena didn't say anything. He sighed.

"I understand that you are scared and that you don't know what is going on around you. It's my first time keeping a human here, too, and I hope we shall come to an agreement. But first, let's take care of basic things."

Elena simply looked at him.

"I'll show you to your room."

Elena followed him in silence, drinking in his features as much as she could. He seemed like a normal, human man. She thought that she would find someone with red eyes and pale, but instead she finds this handsome man. No, a vampire, she reminded herself. Of course he'd be beautiful, though-Everything about them would be perfect. Besides, Elena read vampire stories, and she knew that most of them included vampires using their beauty to seduce or to make their victim fall for them.

A well cleaned room was opened and to Elena's surprise it was huge. It had a big King Bed in the middle of the room, accompanied by a nightstand with a small lamp on it, a giant wardrobe and also an elegant couch. There were also big windows, making the room very well lit.

"Food, clothing and other necessaries are already being taken care of," Damon's voice brought her back to reality.

Elena nodded, her eyes scanning around the room.

"I'll let you settle in."

Elena's legs were almost giving out as she threw herself on the bed, burying her face on the mattress, using her arms as shields as she let the tears fall down her cheeks. She wasn't going to like it here, she was sure of that.

"Don't do that," She heard a voice demand, and Elena jumped as she turned to see Damon, leaning against the wardrobe, his arms crossed on his chest.

"What?" Elena said, quickly wiping the tears, hoping he didn't see her cry.

"Crying."

Elena was unable to say anything; nothing made sense at the moment. She saw him move a step closer and she instinctively moved back.

Damon cleared his throat, his eyes still looking at her sternly. "We have to discuss the terms of your living," He ordered. "Sit down."

She made no move to obey him.

He felt a sense of annoyingness but also a sense of odd pleasure, seeing her trying to be so tough when she was in reality messing with someone more than a hundred years older.

"Sit down, Elena," He said more firmly this time. "Don't let me repeat."

Elena slowly sat down on the couch and he smiled to himself. "First of all," He started, "As you probably know, I'm Damon Salvatore," He extended his hand, expecting her to shake it but she didn't, and he withdrew.

"The rules are simple," He added. "If you cooperate, there won't be a lot of problems. You can go wherever you want in the house, and I don't require you to do anything more other than letting me feed on you without making both our lives impossible."

Elena felt a wave of nausea in her stomach.

"I usually feed four times a week. In the other three days you are free. As I already said, food, clothing and other human necessities will be delivered soon and I can always bring more if you'd like. The only rule I expect you to follow is to be in this room by 12:30 in the morning…It's not a good time to wander around the house, anyway."

Elena nodded her head slightly, hating the way of being bossed around by someone she had never seen before.

He put a hand on the back of her head gently. "You don't have to worry. If you do what I say, we won't have any problems, and I promise that I'll take good care of you. I won't hurt you."

"You don't say much, do you?" He asked her after a few minutes of silence.

She shrugged.

"Tell me about you, Elena," He said, a curious smile appearing on his lips.

Elena felt heat rising up her body and cheeks, but for her own sake she decided that she should try and cooperate. After all, he wasn't being mean to her and the least thing she wanted was for her to annoy him to the point of actually becoming a monster.

"What do you want to know?" She said, her voice cracking up a bit.

"Anything," He said. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," Elena replied.

"Hmm." He simply commented. "What town do you come from, Elena?"

"Mystic Falls…"

"Oh, that tragic pony town," He said in disgust. "Lots of bad memories."

"Why do you say that?" She asked with a sudden curiosity in her voice.

"Being a hundred and seventy two year old vampire has the bad and good things in life," He simply explained. "And the ability to make lots of memories."

"Oh my God," Elena gasped. "You're over a hundred years old?"

"Yup," He said, popping the 'p'.

"Oh…"

"Tell me, Elena," He smirked, "What did you expect when they brought you here?"

"Coffins, bats, you being a red-eyed man…"

Damon was chuckling. "Ah, stories today and their impacts on children."

They spent a lot of time talking, and even though the only reason Elena was talking to him was so that he won't be mad at her, she soon started to find herself interested in what he was saying. Maybe this won't be so bad, after all…

But she still needed to escape.

"You should probably go to sleep," He told her after he realized that she was falling to pieces.

"Okay," She simply managed to say, and Damon turned to leave the room. "Tomorrow's your day. I use alcohol as a substance for blood but since I didn't have human blood in a while I need to feed."

Fear took over Elena again, however she hoped that maybe by tomorrow she would already been long gone.

The door was closed and Elena lay on the bed, no signs of sleep at all.

.

.

Damon was confused. In a very short time he could feel a new change occurring in him, almost urging his long lost humanity to pop up again. Damon was a vampire that didn't give a damn about rules or anything related to vampires and humans. The only tie he had to humanity was human blood, draining people dry to please himself. When he requested a person he did it more as an experiment; as his way of having fun tormenting innocent human girls. But the second he saw her…

She looked exactly like Katherine. The same features, the same thin, small body. At first he thought she was Katherine, and he filled with both rage and happiness. It was lesser than a year ago when he went back to Mystic Falls, searching for Katherine only to find that she wasn't in the tomb, and then learning that she didn't give a crap about him from his former vampire 'friend', Anna. But then the second he looked at her deeply he knew that Katherine never had the sense of being afraid and lost like the girl that was standing in front of him, and his vampire heart actually felt for her. Elena Gilbert, he kept saying. How could it be? How could someone look exactly like her? Didn't he go through too much pain already to cope with the body double of the love of his life?

But something about her made him curious the second he met her. At first, his mind raced to get revenge on what Katherine did to him by using Elena and by hurting her, but then the softer side of him wanted to get to know her. He felt this connection to her already that was difficult to walk away from, similar to a vampire that had just been sired and he was determined that he'll make her his-in every way possible. He just had to wait, had to study her and observe her.

.

.

Elena tip toed slowly to the door. It was dark and the sky was raven black, however the full moon was white and the stars were sparkling like diamonds. She quietly opened the door, trying to keep quiet as much as possible as she studied the rooms. She slowly started to move towards the staircase, stepping closer to the back door. It was locked however Elena knew what she had to do and she started to slowly unlock it. As the door opened slightly, she jumped in fear as a hand was on the door, pushing the door back to its place.

"Got you."

_**What do you think? Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**_

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	3. The first bite is the deepest

The Chapter's title is inspired by 'The first cut is the deepest' by Sheryl Crow. I don't own the song or the Vampire Diaries or otherwise I'll write myself in.

Elena's POV

My breath caught in my throat as his eyes met my frightening and wide ones. I knew I made him mad now, and the fear of what he might do to me paralyzed me. I stood frozen, my back still pinned to the door as I waited, expecting for something-anything-to happen.

His gaze was still locked to mine as he inched closer, but surprised me as he just put a stray piece of hair behind my ears.

Damon's POV

I looked at the girl in front of me, and I could _smell _her fear as she closed her eyes, clearly expecting pain. Expecting me to hurt her. The first instinct was to drain her dry for disobeying me, something I never tolerated. But as she looked at me in disbelief when I put a stray piece of her hair behind her ears, I knew that I wouldn't hurt her.

Elena's POV

"If you try to escape again I will kill you," He threatened, his eyes cold as ice. "Please remember that you are just a human and there is no way you can outrun me. If I find you trying to escape again the consequences will be harsh."

"I'm s-sorry…"

"Do that again and you will be," He said coldly again. "I'm giving you another chance."

I took a long breath as he slowly backed away. "Go to your room and I don't want you out of there until tomorrow." His voice was demanding and I quickly made my way to

'my' room, the room I would spend the rest of my life in if I survive. Somehow, sleep took over me and I closed my eyes.

.

.

The clock showed 6.30 the next morning but I couldn't sleep anymore. When I got tired of staring at the ceiling I got out of bed slowly and walked towards the bookshelf to find good, modern books and an empty journal. That journal seemed like a blessing as I started to write what was on my mind.

"Elena?" I heard a voice murmur and turned around to see Damon.

"I want you to come downstairs."

Without hesitation I went with Damon downstairs as I looked around the house carefully. It was beautiful and very well decorated, and I could see that Damon had too much money.

"What are you thinking?"

"You have too much money," I commented, and he gave me a sly smirk. He led me to the kitchen and there were a mountain of bags on the table and I looked curiously at them.

"Supplies have been delivered," Damon explained, pointing at the bags. "There's everything you need in those bags. If there is something wrong, tell me and I'll get you something else."

I peeked in the bags to see a selection of clothes in my size and other basic things I needed such as a brush, comb, toothbrush and other necessities.

"And… breakfast for the human," He added with a sigh, almost offensive, and I rose my eyebrows when I saw two boiled eggs and a sandwich. Since I didn't eat anything the day before I was hungry and I sat down, taking a bite out of the egg.

"Did you cook this?" I asked out of curiousity.

He shrugged. "No. I happened to like cooking but sometimes I find it disgusting. There's a 'maid' living in here too."

"She's human?"

"Yep. Some vampires prefer to make their… _blood companions _work. I can't feed on her unless there is the owner present."

I felt the urge to throw up the food that I was eating. It sickened me; the way humans were being treated and referred to as slaves and pets, and the way they were bled against their will by someone they didn't even know. I'm human, I thought, I can't be _owned. _I sighed in desperation as I pushed the plate away from me, earning an eerie look from Damon.

"What, full already?"

"Yeah."

He didn't comment as he took the plate away from me and I pushed the chair back to its place, making a move towards the staircase.

"There are some movies if you want to watch something," He added, his eyes planting to mine.

_I could_, I thought as I went to the living room, picking up the Titanic. It was a movie I watched at least a dozen times but never failed to cry at the end. I sat on the comfortable leather couch and a few minutes later I heard Damon going out of the front door, locking it behind him.

I sighed in relief; at least I could be alone for a few minutes, my attention on the big LED television. I longed to try and escape again however I was scared that if he'd catch me he'll seriously injure me, or worse, kill me. But it was no more than twenty minutes later when I heard a strange noise coming from behind me and when I turned I saw a man staring at me, his eyes wide. "Katherine?"

I immediately took a step back, the gaze in his eyes scaring me. Who was he?

He flashed towards me and then his nose buried in my neck, pinning me to the wall. "Human," He concluded, and then harshly looked at me. "What are you doing here, girl?"

"I…I'm…"

I let out a scream as I saw his fangs extend, and then he was pinning my body against his as he buried his face in my neck. I felt a sharp edge against my throat and closed my eyes, embracing myself for the pain, but before I could breathe my body was free again.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I heard Damon's voice roar as the other one was basically flying to the other side of the room. My eyes snapped open.

"What is she doing here, brother?"

Brother?

"She's my human, Stefan," Damon said sternly, staring daggers at the other one.

"What do you mean, your human? I never imagined you the slave type, Damon. Besides, you didn't even mark her."

"That's my business," Damon growled. "And I will, soon enough."

"What, and you expect me to just stare at her? I have a better idea, Damon, why don't we share? She can be _our _human."

Share? A shiver ran up my spine as I remained frozen, my back pinned to the cold, hard wall.

"She's mine," Damon demanded. "Get out of here, Stefan, this is my only warning."

The latter, who I now knew his name was Stefan, threw a cold look at Damon and then at me. I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding as I found myself alone with Damon again, and I stood still against the wall, allowing him to make the first move since I knew that Damon looked furious right now.

"Are you okay?" He asked indifferently.

"Y-yes…"

"Let me see," Damon said, and he tilted my head to a side. "No bites," he commented, "But there's some blood."

I swallowed. Wasn't he supposed to drain me dry if there was blood?

"Relax, Elena," He smirked, his voice soft as silk. "I can control myself." I let him apply a yellow liquid on my bleeding neck and he gently massaged it, wiping all the blood away. "All done."

"Who was he?" I mumbled quietly.

"He's my younger brother Stefan. Unlike me, he has no idea of self control… he spent thirty years fighting his nature by drinking animal blood and then he suddenly became violent again. He isn't the slave type… He's more the 'bite, seduce and get rid of' type."

"But aren't there rules?"

"We are vampires, Elena. We only agreed to that stupid truce because we need you for food. There is no one to actually stop us from doing what we really want to do. There are thousands like Stefan, too."

"Don't you show the least bit of remorse?" I snapped.

"I didn't hurt you for trying to escape earlier, didn't I?" He raised his eyebrow cockily. "So I think I deserve a good point."

I didn't say anything.

Damon moved a step towards me and he reached forward to touch a loose strand of my hair. "You'll learn to like living like this, Elena. You'll learn to at least not hate the place."

"You don't get it, do you?" I gasped pitifully. "You took me away from my home-From my family. I have a younger brother at home who had been dealing with drugs ever since our parents died. Oh, I bet you didn't know that, didn't you? My parents died last May. You took my freedom away and any plans I had for the future…As if I haven't lost enough already."

For once, he didn't comment. I simply shrugged and then turned away, the movie forgotten, as I found myself in that damned room again. I wanted nothing more than to die right at that very moment.

Before I could blink, I felt him behind me on my bed, but I didn't turn to talk to him. Suddenly I felt a hand running up and down gently on my side, stopping at my waist and then felt a hot breath on my neck.

"I'm sorry about your parents."

Even though those words weren't what I needed to hear, I still felt a bit comforted and made an effort to turn to face him. "Thank you," I mumbled underneath my breath.

.

.

I didn't know how that day passed, however when it was about seven in the evening Damon looked very serious and stern. "I want blood," He simply ordered, and I suddenly knew that the time had come. But no, I would never let him feed on me. Not like this.

"Don't," I pleaded. "Please, don't…"

"You knew it had to happen eventually," He said in a chiding tone. "Don't make it hard, Elena. You don't have to act this way."

"No," I said stubbornly again, and instinctively ran for the door desperate to get away from him. However he was in there in a flash and I was pinned down against the stone hard ground.

"Get off me!" I roared as I pushed at his chest, but he caught my wrists in an iron-like grip and pinned them on the floor next to my head.

"It's going to hurt more if you struggle," Damon growled angrily, his grip on my wrist tightening in a painful grip.

"Please, you're hurting me," I breathed, his weight making it difficult to breathe. He lifted himself up higher, his knees still straddling my legs as he bent his head down and moved closer to my neck.

"No!" I shrieked, aiming to start pushing and moving. "No!"

Then I felt pain in my neck as his fangs roughly pierced my skin. I tried to struggle one last time but then my strength began to fade away, with each pull I felt weaker. It was only when I stood completely still that the pain subsided away, and as a tear trailed down my cheek I began to see black and white dots, knowing I would pass out soon. I gave in to the darkness.

.

.

The second I woke up I found myself on my bed, and a bandage was neatly placed on my wound. It hurt everywhere and I was stiff and weak, however I wasn't in unbearable pain, more like stinging. My collarbone was still filled with dry blood, but I noticed that my clothes were neat-were changed. I shot up in disgust, trying to remember changing my clothes but failed to do so. A scary thought came through my mind, he didn't dare changing my clothes, didn't he?

A gasp of pain escaped my lips as I hit my wrist against the bedside table, and I realized that there were grey bruises all over my wrists, obviously where he had grabbed me. I rubbed them and hissed seeing those marks and then went in front of the mirror slowly taking off the bandage. Two puncture wounds were there, but there was no blood. Now I was officially his, he had marked me.

"If you don't struggle it will hurt much less," Damon was leaning against the door again. "It's your fault it hurt. And you ended up making feeding impossible and it isn't a pleasurable experience for me either. I hope that it would be better next time, because I won't be as patient as I am today."

He lifted my hair up and smiled to himself. "I got you good, didn't I?"

"Bastard," I heard the word escape my lips. He simply smiled, putting his finger on the two wounds.

"How did I get in these clothes?" I suddenly screamed when I remembered.

"You blacked out. I carried you to bed, took off your shirt and jeans and…" My pupils dilated and my cheeks flushed, my mouth ready to curse him to the fiery pits of hell. But before I could do so, he said, "Relax, Elena. The maid took care of it."

He looked at me one last time before saying, "I will see you again tomorrow."

"And Elena," He warned, "You know what will happen if I don't see you tomorrow."

I shivered, and the door closed leaving me all alone.

_**What do you think? I want to clear some things though:**_

_**I want to develop both of their characters. Elena in the show is a very determined and brave woman, and I'm using her determination, braveness and stubbornness here. On the other hand, Damon in the show at first was dangerous, however we knew how he is when he loved someone, 'blindly and recklessly'. I want this Damon to show that he is the boss (after all, Elena's just his food till now) but there is something about this girl making him to want her. We will see this in later chapter.**_

_**Also, as a side note about the rating, the story might deal with some sort of Suicide attempt or some violence, however nothing too extreme. As for smut don't worry, if there will be it would be very limited. (I'm 14, I don't think I'm able to even write one) There will be some references to Stockholm's Syndrome so if it bothers you then I say T+. Stockholm's Syndrome is when the victim is attracted to the captor, similar to Beauty and the Beast story. I thought I'd say this so if there are younger readers who might feel a bit uncomfortable reading falling in love with a monster or something… then avoid.**_

_**Please REVIEW **_


	4. Trust Issues

A\N Oh my God I'm so happy-15 reviews for last chapter! Thanks so much. Sends you all kisses! Love you! Anyone else is having the same problem though, on the story it says 20 reviews but when I counted and on my Author Page it says I have 34… I'm so annoyed.

Important: Some of you asked me to write in third person. I don't usually do that since I change POVs, but since I didn't seem to suck on the first chapter of the story written in third person, I think I'll give it a try. So, third person it is.

A week.

Elena had been locked up in Damon's house for an entire week. When she slowly started to realize that there was no hope for her at all, Elena decided to lock herself up in her room, simply staring at the back gardens from the window. Due to her stress and lifestyle Elena's physical appearance had changed too. Her already slim body looked slimmer, and not in a good way. She had been throwing up everything she ate, not on purpose, but it was just that her body couldn't take food anymore. Since it had been long since she felt the sun, she looked paler and beneath her eyes were dark circles, the evidence that she wasn't sleeping at all.

The second time Damon had come to feed on her she barely had the strength to fight him off, but she did try to struggle, resulting in the same pain. But on the third time, Elena didn't even try to protect herself, or tried to beg him like usual. He instantly knew that she had given up and a part of him filled with pleasure for this, but the other part made him feel sorry for her.

Elena ran straight to the bathroom, feeling nauseous and weak. But there was no food to be lost.

"Elena?" She heard a light knock on the door, and then it opened a little. "May I come in?"

When she didn't say anything, Damon stepped in and went near Elena. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sick," She basically breathed, almost struggling for air. "I-I don't know what's happening to me."

Her legs were almost giving out, and Damon's arms shot up to keep her still before she almost fell. He half carried her on the bed and rubbed her arm, almost in a soothing way. If Elena didn't know what he was capable of, she would've thought he cared.

"You haven't been eating," He stated.

"I wasn't hungry… but when I actually started to feel hungry again, I just-"

"You have to eat, Elena. You lose blood frequently, and you need to replace that by food and enough rest." He took her chin gently in his hands, forcing her to look him in his eyes. Elena tried to avoid his gaze.

"You'll end up killing yourself," He said, almost in a whisper, and then to Elena's surprise his fingers ran up to caress the space beneath her eyes, were her dark circles were formed.

Elena seemed to step out of her trance and she cringed away from his touch, leaving him with his hand still raised. "I don't have anything else to live for," She spat.

Damon let out a sound which seemed like a growl. "What do you plan on doing, Elena? Make yourself sick till the point of death?"

"What, are you actually implying that I'm doing th-" Elena started to say, but Damon's gaze on her shoulders made her shiver as she remembered what she tried to do the night before, with a _knife._

She was going to do it, she was going to press the blade in her own chest and end her life right there at that moment. But something inside of her kept her from pressing the knife any further, leaving her with marks on her collarbone and shoulder only, but no permanent damage.

"What is that?" Damon said, a look of fear on his face.

"Nothing," She said immediately.

"That is not nothing!" Damon roared as he roughly pulled the sleeve away from her shoulder, seeing the tiny cuts that surrounded her body like needles being pressed to her skin. "What did you try to do, Elena? How could you…"

He was basically shrieking now, and he lost his patience, grabbing Elena roughly from her arms. "Why are you making this hard!"

"Because I want to go home!" She yelled back at his face, and she felt herself pinned to the wardrobe. "Dammit, Elena! Just stop it!" His fist hit the space near her head, and Elena closed her eyes expecting an impact on her face or her body. When nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes only to see Damon inches away from her face, his hands slowly releasing her waist.

Elena took a few calming breaths and he raised his hand to stroke her hair. "Elena, destiny's written the second we are born," He reasoned in a calming tone. "This is your life now." He tilted her chin up again. "Stop fighting, Elena. Otherwise, you'll be putting your family in danger, too."

Elena gasped at the threat. "You won't hurt them, they're innocent!"

"Only if you behave," Damon said sternly. "This can't go on. I'll give you medicine, you'll start to eat and sleep and we will start over."

Not wanting to put her family at risk, Elena had no choice other to nod her head.

.

.

Days passed, and Elena started to recover. Damon didn't feed on her when she was taking the medicine and getting better, and she even started to eat some small meals more frequently. Even though her heart was never free, Elena told herself to make the best of everything that was going on around her, especially for her family's sake.

Elena stirred in bed and after putting some clothes on; she went downstairs to have a decent cup of coffee and some cereal in the kitchen. She had been seeing Damon more frequently and her relationship with him seemed to develop to a different type.

"Good Morning," Damon's voice greeted from the kitchen. He was having a cup of coffee himself and reading the newspaper, and Elena tried to fight away the thought of how normal he looked doing these things.

"Good Morning," Elena said, having the coffee and studying Damon's face which was buried in the newspaper now.

She was about to sip the coffee when suddenly her eyes saw the picture on the front page and her hands shook, spilling the hot coffee on her. She winced in pain, however she was thankful it wasn't boiling hot.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked startled.

"T-the n-newspaper," Elena whimpered. "F-Front page!"

Damon immediately saw the front page, but he couldn't think of a reason why any of what was written was bothering the girl in front of him that much.

She took it with shaking hands as she examined the picture. "Jenna!" She cried, fat tears streaming down her cheeks. "She was taken!"

Damon looked at the picture Elena was pointing at, to see that that section had a headline named, "Vampires in Mystic Falls". He examined the pictures, and also saw Elena's own picture.

"Oh my God," Elena sobbed, "J-Jeremy! He's all alone now! He's just a child!"

"It's not even legal," Damon heard himself say. "Children under the age of sixteen can't be left alone, and they can't be taken, either."

Elena was crying quietly now, but then Damon cupped her face in his hands. "I'll try and talk to the person in charge, but I can't guarantee anything…"

Elena couldn't believe her ears. He was caring? He was actually going to help her?

"Thank you," She said with a gasp, and Damon nodded slightly.

.

.

After Elena finished her cereal, she helped Larissa Damon's maid in the housecleaning. After all, she didn't have anything to do and it wouldn't hurt her to clear up some rooms. Damon had given her the priority to change the room how she liked and she moved the furniture around to her like.

"Do you want me to help you push the wardrobe, too?" Damon smirked, and as usual Elena turned to find him behind her.

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't think there's anyone who can move that wardrobe, it's enormous."

Damon smirked again and flashed near the wardrobe, and with a lightest push the wardrobe moved. "Where to, Madame?" He asked in mock politeness, and Elena couldn't help not to let out a chuckle.

"Hmm, there," She pointed.

"Thanks." Elena stared at the place where the wardrobe now was.

Damon stared at Elena for a moment, until he said quietly, "Do you want to get out of here for a while?"

Elena thought she was imagining things, but when Damon clearly was expecting an answer, she nodded silently.

"Can I trust you enough to take you out for a little while?"

"Yes!" Elena said immediately.

"Okay," He sighed. "Get ready."

Elena felt her heart almost beating out of her chest. Maybe this was how she could escape, she kept thinking.

She immediately changed to a dark blue skinny jeans and a purple tank top, matched with a pair of black converse. She brushed her dark, tangled hair and in a few minutes she was ready.

Damon was waiting for her near the backdoor, and as soon as he saw her coming down the stairs he eyed her over, mesmerized by her beauty even in just a simple jeans and top. She was too beautiful it was almost unbelievable. He could still hear her heart beating faster every time he was nearer, and who blames her? It was still too early for her to trust that he wouldn't hurt her. Hell, he wasn't so sure himself yet-After all, it was his nature he was fighting against. He never liked having one human, he liked variety.

"I trust that you won't create any scenes," He said, his voice now cold. "One wrong move and you'll never get out of this house again."

"Okay, I get it," Elena said simply, a shiver running up her spine.

"Here," Damon said, tossing something at her and Elena unfolded it neatly. She cocked an eyebrow. "A scarf? It's a hot day."

"Keep it on," He simply ordered, but he himself started securing it around her neck, letting his fingers caress her side of her neck gently.

"Your hand," He demanded again, and as soon as she slipped her hand to his he started to lead her towards his parked blue Camaro.

"You drive?" She asked with a surprise.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes. And I even call my car my baby," He added with a sly smile, showing her that he knew exactly how they lived these days.

It was Elena's turn to roll her eyes as she sat on the passenger's seat.

.

.

After a few minutes of driving Damon stopped the car near a bar and got Elena something to drink before heading to a store which sold nice expensive clothes. Elena couldn't believe that Damon had those kind of money as she looked at the price tags.

"Go on, pick anything you want," He urged her, giving her a light pat on her back.

She didn't need to be told twice and with Damon following her she made her way to the section of tops which she really liked, and got some of those. As she made her way to the dressing room, her eyes caught a most beautiful black dress, it almost hurt to look at it.

She was desperate to try it on, and she grabbed it and entered the dressing room, taking off her clothes to try the black dress.

It suited her body perfectly, and she smiled at the reflection in the mirror as she looked down at the small petal-like designs on the dress, but nearly screamed as she saw Damon in the mirror.

"Oh God! Stop doing that!"

"Sorry," He laughed. "Liking everything so far? We'll be going soon."

"Yes, I'll just change back to my clothes."

"Okay," He said. "This dress makes you look beautiful."

Elena didn't expect this comment, and she blushed slightly. Damon reached out and stroked her hair for a small moment, then cleared his throat. "I'll wait outside."

A few minutes later, Elena came out with a few tops, however she noticed that the black dress was somehow being squeezed closer to her heart as she carried it.

.

.

By the time Damon bought Elena some lunch it was late in the afternoon already, and since Damon had promised Elena that he'll find something about Jenna he knew where to go.

"He owns a mansion and uses it for vampire meetings," He explained. "I could talk to him, I'm close to him. His name's Vladimir Black. There's a rest stop along the way, humans are expected to be as formal as possible when they enter his house." Elena narrowed her eyes in disgust, but changed to a new top and skirt and a pair of new shoes when they stopped. The drive was a long one and it was dark by the time I got there.

"Good Evening, Mr. Salvatore," A man greeted, "Mr. Black is waiting for you. Your human should be put upstairs."

Elena stiffened, were they serious? Was she a coat now?

However she obeyed and went upstairs, and there was a girl about seventeen years old. Like her, she was wearing a scarf and in her eyes Elena could see her pained look. She was sitting on a chair, looking blankly at an empty space.

"Hello," Elena said lamely after a while.

"Hey," The girl replied.

"Are you okay?"

"Are any of us okay?" The girl mumbled again, looking at Elena. "Does he hurt you?"

Elena wasn't expecting her question, but before she could answer the girl said, "I got taken away a few days ago… I didn't even know about the vampires. I came from Europe and apparently in my town everything was normal. I'm already struggling."

"I'm in the same position…"

"I don't think so," The girl said, exposing her arms and Elena stared in horror as she saw bruises, scratches and bite marks all around the girl's body. It was not just feeding, this was physical abuse. Elena wanted to give her soul in order for that girl to be free of such cruelty, and she knelt beside her. "Oh my God, I'm sorry…"

Before anything else could happen, she heard a voice barking from behind the door. "Susan! Susan!"

The girl shot up. "He's calling me… he's mad, he's going to kill me!"

"Why? You didn't do anything!"

"He's drunk, can't you hear it in his voice?"

Susan hurried to the door before it slammed open. "Come with me," He barked.

"No," Elena said determinedly. She would protect her.

"Who the fuck is she?" He yelled at Susan, almost ready to bite her, but Elena tried to push him away. Now he was beyond pissed, and his attention was now focused on Elena. He pinned her underneath him, and in a second her dress was almost torn from her body as he whispered, "Trying to look tough, aren't you?"

He started to roll the hem of her top up, and his fangs were almost piercing her skin as suddenly the weight disappeared from her. She saw Damon growling and the other vampire on the floor.

"What the hell, Salvatore?"

"You know she's mine," He screamed.

"And you know here we _share_," He persuaded. "Besides, what's so special about her? I was just having fun, seeing how tough she tries so hard to be."

He let out a chuckle. "I want to taste her," He pointed at Elena. "You can take mine for now."

"No. I didn't even let my brother touch her, and I won't let _you _scar her." 

"Go home in peace, Salvatore," He dismissed. "We'll talk when you're conscious, not like this. Vladimir will not be happy once he learns that Damon is protective of a thing."

.

.

Damon practically pulled Elena from the house to the car, rather roughly. He then pushed her against the car, and roared, "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"I-I didn't m-mean-"

"You tried to stop a vampire from feeding for God's sake! You ended up making me fight against those with better authority than me. If anything happens to me and I need their services they won't make it easy!"

"Why didn't you let me get drained then?" Elena challenged, her body almost on fire.

"Because I couldn't just stand there and see you get chewed on, dammit!" He cursed, grabbing her from her shoulders. "Don't ever do something like that again."

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "But I couldn't help it…"

As Damon saw her big puppy eyes filling with tears again, he knew he was being harsh. After all, she tried saving a girl like her. He put a finger on her cheek carefully and stroked her cheek. "Vampires are dangerous creatures, Elena. You can easily get hurt."

Elena nodded as Damon wiped a tear away.

"Get in the car. We're going back."

Elena climbed in without hesitation.

_Did you like it? Please leave a review!_


	5. Love and Lust

A\N Omg, the support you guys are showing to this story is amazing! Thanks so much, I appreciate every review you give. Please do not hesitate to suggest and even constructive criticism is appreciated, it will help me as a writer to improve both my writing and English language.

PS: I just got my helix piercing pierced, and damn it hurts… so a little review of this chapter will always make me feel better ;)

Enjoy,

Amy

The silence in the car was overwhelming, however none of them could talk about what was going on their minds. Damon was beyond confused and scared at the same time… He couldn't believe that he had almost gotten into a fight with someone who's his own race and who has greater authority than him, just to save a young human slave. He was scared that the thing he hated the most, his humanity, was finally fighting its way back in just inches away from being clearly visible.

On the other hand, the same thoughts were on Elena's mind. Why did he save her? He himself admitted that they had power over him, so why would he risk it? It didn't mean that she wasn't grateful that he saved her, because only God knew what could've happened if Damon didn't show up-In fact, her clothes were almost ripped to shreds, and she immediately blushed as she realized how exposing she were. It seemed that Damon noticed, and he surprised her even more when he handed her his black leather jacket without a word. She gratefully took it and carefully, inhaling his scent, put it over her own top.

"Thank you," Elena heard herself say when she thought the silence stretched out for too long. "Thank you for coming to my rescue…I don't know what could've happened if you weren't there in time."

Damon nodded his head and then after a while he said, "I can't guarantee you that they will free Jenna. However, Jeremy is still at home. They said they'll handle it-I can't do very much at the moment."

Elena nodded. "Thank you for trying."

He sighed. "You're welcome. I hope this rang a bell though, and that you learnt to be more thankful."

She knew what he meant. Susan's body traumatized her, and she realized that the main percentage of human slaves were in the same position as Susan. In a certain way she was… _safer _with Damon. Apart from feeding on her he didn't do anything to hurt her.

"Yes," She gulped, looking at his blue orbs.

"Damon?" She asked again after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Who was that man?"

"He's Vladimir's most trusted guards. His name's Duncan. They are the ones that originally created the truce, but ironically enough Duncan is the vampire most known to break rules." 

"I never got that," Elena said confused, "What rules should there be?"

"There were a few," Damon said as if he was trying to remember. "One of them said that the human should be used for blood only. The second, the one I told you about, was that children under the age of 16 should not be taken or leave them without parental guardians. However, if a mother asks to be… 'bought', the child has to move in too."

"There are humans who willingly ask to be bought?" Elena gasped in surprise.

"Elena, not everyone has the same life. There are cases where a teenage runaway ended up pregnant and homeless…She offered herself in exchange for a place to stay for the baby's sake. Another one was abused by her husband at home, so she took her thirteen year old daughter to live with her in a vampire's house."

"But does the kid have to be fed on?" Elena shivered at the thought.

"Let's just say we're not supposed to," Damon said uncomfortably. "But something about vampires is that they always get what they want. The truce was just a gesture of selfishness. Another rule, for example, is that each vampire should have only one human." He cleared his throat before continuing, "There are vampires that rebel for human rights, too. But this often results in conflicts. Vampires that rebel for human rights are the animal-blood drinkers, and those that live only on bloodbags."

Elena bit her lip at this information. She tried not to imagine what other humans like her were going through, and what her own fate was. She looked down at her hands but the moment was shortlived as she felt cold hands on her chin, gently turning her face around.

"Elena," He said in a voice which sounded like a whisper. "I know that you are probably scared now, but I promise you I will never do what Duncan did to that girl."

By the time they were back, Elena was soundly asleep and Damon easily took her in his arms, using that moment to drink in her beauty as she lay asleep. He put her on her bed and took her shoes off before covering her with a thick blanket.

Damon instinctively reached out and brushed his fingers across the curve of her cheek and down the smooth column of her throat. She looked so peaceful lying there, no trace of tears on her cheeks-possibly because of him-, and she looked fresh and intensely appetizing. It wasn't long since he fed on her, however her blood was something which he never understood. Damon had a great self control, never totally giving himself to the blood; however with Elena it was different. She didn't know it; however Damon struggled to feed from her the gentlest way possible and to fight against the urge to drain her dry. Her blood was intoxicating and magical in a way that made Damon wonder if she was something else-something more than human. Her pulse point was throbbing, mocking him from the slender column of her throat. Resisting the urge, Damon closed his eyes, the veins on his face disappearing once more. However he didn't hesitate to impulsively lie down and brush his lips against the soft flesh of her neck, feeling the delicate heartbeat.

He withdrew when she stirred just a little and went back to his own bedroom, cursing himself for being so weak.

.

.

Elena's eyes popped open the next morning, feeling a little sore. She changed to comfier clothing and when she turned she saw Damon greeting her with a grin.

"Morning, Elena."

"Good Morning," She said politely and simply.

"I'm going out for a while. If you need anything, Larissa will be here."

"Oh. Okay," Elena nodded.

When Elena found herself alone in the room, she went to take her normal cup of coffee.

"Hey, Larissa," Elena said, sipping some of the coffee.

Larissa was about twenty two, she was energetic and she seemed to be really sweet however Elena knew that she must've gone through so much because her face told it all. She felt the urge to talk to her.

"Oh, hey dear," She gave Elena a small smile. "Do you want a sandwich?"

"No, I'm good thanks," Elena replied, putting the mug on the table again. "I never really talked to you…"

Larissa sighed, taking a cup of tea herself. "I've gone through much."

"How did you end up here?"

"I was happy," Larissa smiled. "I lost my parents at a young age so I grew up in an orphanage. It was only a few years ago that I went out of there, however I found some people taking advantage of me since I didn't really know the world outside. I lost money and hope… so I had no choice other to turn to a vampire's help." She sighed. "A year ago, even before the truce, I managed to find a vampire. It was a long story, however when I begged for help he let me inside his house, for the price of my blood, of course. He was a vampire that liked drinking from one person, so he thought it was a good deal."

Elena's blood was running cold.

"At first the idea disgusted me. But I wanted a decent place to live, at least have some food-So I accepted the deal. I grew very close with the vampire that I ended up completely and utterly in love with him… and he fell in love with me." 

Elena's eyes widened, she never expected that a vampire could be capable of loving someone.

"However, we weren't destined to be together. A few months later, he was staked by someone they never caught. They took me away from there and sent me to another one, Thomas. This time I didn't have a choice since the truce was already made. Thomas was cold and ruthless, and I suffered so much the days I spent there. Then he sent me here to work because they can do whatever they want with you. Thomas never wanted the blood-he just enjoyed causing pain."

"I'm so sorry," Elena said breathless after a while. "You've gone through so much."

"I will only tell you one thing, though. Not all vampires know the difference between love and lust," Larissa locked her eyes with Elena's. "But when it's real, you can't walk away. Trust me."

The words confused Elena. What was she implying?

Larissa then gave her a small smile and started to clear up the table.

.

.

When Elena found herself alone again, she knew what she had to do next, and that was tour the house. Even though months had passed there were still areas she didn't explore and the house was bigger than she thought. One room was monstrous, with a modern LED television and even a surround system-Something that looked typically human and normal. She kept touring the houses when a room in the left caught her eye. To her surprise, she found it locked and curiosity immediately overwhelmed her desperately trying to open the door.

"And what are_ you_ doing?" She heard a small voice, and Elena turned to see Damon in front of her.

"I-I…"

"Curiosity killed the cat," Damon muttered. "What is it so interesting that you want to see?"

Elena looked down. "Nothing, I guess. What's in that room?"

"If it's locked, I think it is locked for a reason," Damon said in a chiding tone. "So that both the contents and every explanation that there might be are kept… a secret."

Elena immediately shut her mouth, not wanting to upset him and he seemed surprised by this.

"I managed to find something about Jenna," He said changing the subject. "The human rights movement is alert and fighting for it since Jeremy is fifteen and without a legal guardian now. However Vladimir's against us…Against you, too. Duncan is like his child, what he wants and doesn't get is what he'll aim for."

She stared at him, feeling herself melted by his blue eyes. He then reached out for her face, and assured her, "I won't let anything happen to you. That's what matters."

He took a step closer to Elena.

"When I first saw you," He smiled, grabbing a stray piece of her hair and twirling it around his finger, "I was mesmerized by how determined you are. How you try to stand up for the people you love and how you tried to save a girl you didn't even know. How beautiful you are," He added slowly.

Where was this going? Elena's heart suddenly started to beat faster, not quite ready for what was going on around her. He was talking to her in a sweet, caring way that both scared her and made her give in to her emotions. Yes, she had been denying the attraction because she didn't want to be used.

Damon's finger ran down her chin, her neck and stopped at her collarbone and he felt an odd sense of pleasure when she shivered. "And then when I got the first taste of your blood… I wanted nothing else than to make you mine. In every way possible."

Elena shivered as she saw Damon taking a step closer. Her instincts screamed at her to walk away, to take a step back, anything. But no, instead she stood frozen there enjoying his touch, his light caress right below her soft lips. He was looking at her eyes now, and then his thumb moved on her bottom lip, gently pulling them down. Elena knew what was about to happen, but consequences be damned, she felt that this was right.

Then Damon's lips were suddenly on Elena's, his hands stroking the back of her neck clenching her tighter to him possessively, and Elena closed her eyes as Damon deepened the kiss.

What was she doing? What was wrong with her?

No. There was no turning back now.

_So, what do you think? Please leave a review ;)_


	6. Damned if she do

A\N 18 reviews! Thank you so much-All I wish is that I can hug you all haha.

Thank you AJ81writing, having my favourite writer read my story was great. Also thanks to Dark-Supernatural-Angel for suggesting plot lines and Larissa\Slater ;)

Title is inspired by the song Damned if She do by The Kills. It was also used as a promo for Season 3.

* * *

><p>Elena's lips parted a little and Damon immediately took this opportunity, kissing her with more passion. His hands were now running down her sides, making Elena shiver under his light and gentle touch. She was now breathless and her cheeks were flushing, and she backed away a little to suck in some air.<p>

"No," Damon moaned, pulling her from her arms causing her body to crush against his, and his lips were on hers again. Elena was about to protest but she seemed to be frozen, captured by _this _Damon.

"One of…us still needs to…breathe," Elena let out between breaths as she felt him smile a little. He released her, and she took a step away staring at his ocean blue eyes, letting herself get lost in them. Damon too was looking at her chocolate brown orbs as he gently twirled his finger around a soft curl that was skittering across her face.

They stood in silence for a moment, Elena suddenly processing what she did. Her eyes widened as her hand ran up her lips. What has she done?

"What's wrong?" Damon asked, feeling her tense up.

Elena's hands lowered to her neck, and surprisingly the vervain necklace her father Grayson had given to protect her before he died was still there. This meant that Elena had kissed a vampire willingly, even actually saying that it felt right. But damn, it did. It felt magical and like heaven, however in a strange way it felt sinful as well.

"I…I can't do this right now, Damon," In a minute she disappeared from in front of him, flashing up the stairs, and Damon was left frozen downstairs unable to process what this was.

Elena threw herself on the bed and buried her head in the soft pillow, unable to decide if she should smile because it happened as she knew she had been denying the attraction, or cry because what she did was wrong. This wasn't love or affection, this was lust.

She felt the bed crack a little and a hot breath on her neck. "Elena."

She didn't move an inch, and Damon moved closer to her causing her back to press against his chest. "Elena," He said again, and this time his voice was a little higher.

"What?" Her voice cracked.

Damon took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Why are you reacting like this?"

Elena bit her lip, and Damon slowly started to caress her neck, moving to her sides and stopping on her hipbone. She shivered, and he bent his head down. "Stop fighting me," He urged her. "Tell me what's wrong."

"This…This is wrong," Elena choked out. "I can't stand the idea of falling for…for _this _and then my heart gets torn in two. It's not a normal thing to do…I'm your slave and you're the vampire. It will never work. I just want this to stop before it starts," Elena was close to tears now, but she didn't want him to see her cry over him. After all, she didn't know where these words were coming from. She didn't exactly _love _him.

Damon gently turned her around to face him. "And why do you think that I will use you?"

"Larissa told me about her story," Elena sighed. "She was in love and he died. However when she went to live with her new owner she saw things. She saw what they are capable of. And worst of all, she told me that many use us as a distraction, as lust…not loving us for who we are, but lusting for our blood-"

"Not all of us are the same, Elena," Damon said, his voice simple and with no emotion. "I knew Larissa's master. His name was Slater…He turned in the seventies. He really did love her, he ended up dying protecting her."

"What? She didn't tell me that…"

"Because she doesn't know," Damon said, taking a deep breath. "The authorities were after them. Apparently Thomas, the one she was with before she came here, wanted Larissa and when Slater refused to let her be taken they ended up fighting and Slater staked him-however he didn't kill him. One of our rules say that we must not kill or try to kill each other, and that got Slater in trouble with the authorities…until he was staked after hesitating to obey the instructions the authorities gave him."

"What instructions?"

"You're not going to like this."

"Try me."

"Okay, if you really want to know," Damon sighed. "In the Dark Dimension, as we call it, whenever someone disobeys there will be harsh prices. Humans mean nothing except food and pleasure once you set a foot there. They wanted him to kill her."

"But she didn't do anything wrong!"

"She made a vampire rebel against his kind. She was considered a threat, a demon, to our kind."

"Oh God…"

"Before he died he managed to call me and he made me promise him that I'll do anything to help her. Thomas got what he wanted but got bored and a few days later I learnt that he was sending her to live with someone else…I took the opportunity."

"That's why you don't hurt her…"

"I don't hurt her because I can only have one human as food."

"You can't fool me, Damon," Elena said. "I know about vampires, how they try to shut it off. God just admit that you don't hurt her because you feel sympathy for her after all she's been through! And because Slater was a dear friend…"

Damon's eyes narrowed. "Whatever you say."

"This is exactly what I've been implying earlier," Elena growled. "It will never work because you are too proud to accept the fact that you feel. I won't stand here as your distraction."

Damon's face darkened, and Elena felt her body shiver at the sight of his dark eyes. However there were no signs of bloodlust. He pinned her down on the bed, her arms tight above her head and groaned, "You don't really have a choice, Elena. Because you are living here and I'm telling you, I will have you."

"Is that a threat?" Elena spat, "Or are you promising me?"

"Let me tell you something, sweetheart. Vampires always get what they want. When the time will come everything will be real. No lies, no tricks, no threats."

With that he rolled off her and disappeared.

.

.

Elena got tired of staring at the ceiling, and even worse, she got tired of thinking. She shouldn't have reacted the way she did. After all, she had kissed him back with the same fierce passion, if not more.

"Dammit," she cursed herself as she put on a pair of converse and made her way through the hallway.

As she was walking she realized that the locked door where Damon had found her earlier was now opened. Unable to help herself, Elena peeked inside and she found a big room which was very messy. Broken items, torn pictures…

"You just can't do what you're told, can't you?" Damon's voice came from inside.

She took a step back, ready to turn away.

"You can come in now."

Elena was surprised, but she entered the room examining everything around her. Seeing her questioned look, Damon sighed: "This room is the most room which is the closest to my early life. My human life."

Elena's eyes widened.

"My story is long and complicated, Elena," He said sadly. "However know that I didn't have an easy life when I was a little older than you were. I didn't even ask for this life."

Elena nodded, waiting for him to say something but when he didn't, she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Apology accepted," He gave her a small smile.

One week later

Things in the Salvatore house didn't change. Elena and Damon didn't often meet and she concluded that he was avoiding her due to her insecurities. However, Elena didn't try to deny her feelings now, she knew she was falling for him. She started to realize it more when she almost wanted him to suck her dry once when feeding on her. This thing between them didn't become scary and torturing for Elena's soul anymore, on the contrary, him drinking her blood became something intimate and addictive. And this was what scared Elena, she was falling for their tricks, their seduction and sometimes she felt like she was being compelled even though her necklace always hung around her neck.

But today, this cold night, it was different. Elena dried herself from the warm, soapy water in the tub and put on a white cotton robe. Elena knew what she had to do… she planned to confront him, to make him tell her what he really wanted from her without lying about it. Once more, Damon was in that room again and apparently he was throwing away some items. He had explained before that this room held any memory he had and in fact lots of things were pictures from his past and journals from his ancestors.

"Hey, Damon."

"Elena."

She nipped at her lip nervously and closed the distance between them. He looked at her with confusion in his eyes as Elena tip toed and reached out for his lips, not even bothering trying to form a sentence.

He immediately responded to the kiss, kissing her fiercely as he moved down her neck and then gently nipped at her collarbone. Elena's hands grabbed his hair, not letting him pull away, and Damon didn't need to be told twice.

There was a flash of rooms and suddenly Elena found herself in Damon's room, the room she had never been in before. But at that moment, she didn't care. He had her cornered against the wall and he was waiting for her to breathe as he lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. One look and Elena was now on Damon's bed, and he was hovering above her, kissing her neck again.

"Bite me," Elena breathed.

Damon shot her a confused look.

"Don't make me beg," Elena grinned.

Damon kissed the space where her shoulder met her neck, and he knew what he had to do to make her enjoy it. He sucked slowly on her delicious blood, and it was anything but painful for Elena. His hand went under her shirt caressing her back and Elena did what she did often when he stroked her-She shivered.

He touched the two wounds he had just made and cleaned them with his fingers. He had tried to be clean as possible so Elena had only two small marks.

He pressed a kiss on her throat and brushed his lips upwards until he met hers, and without wasting any more time, Elena helped Damon take off his shirt as they repeated the procedure with her bathe robe.

Damon gave her one final look for reassuring, but when she didn't hesitate, he bent his head down and pressed a light kiss on her stomach before everything started.

.

.

The next morning Elena woke to Damon's sleeping body and she smiled at the memory of last night. Surprisingly enough for her, there was no remorse, nothing that made her feel sorry about what they did. Not anymore.

Sure, her religious upbringing told her that she should wait after wedlock, and she not only had lost her virginity before but she also slept with a vampire-A creature that was to be damned, even though she didn't believe that. But Elena felt that since she was sure she didn't do anything wrong. Her mind was perfectly clear when she made the decision.

Elena caressed Damon's raven black hair and in response she felt Damon pull her closer to him, his arms locking around her waist tightly, almost too tight. In fact she was having trouble breathing properly now, but she enjoyed having him near her.

"Good Morning, Angel."

"Mmm, good morning," Elena rumbled.

They lay down together for a few more hours and Elena actually found herself falling asleep again, however her eyes snapped open when she heard the water running down as Damon was in the shower.

Damon let the warm water fall as he thought about what happened the night before. It was one of the best nights of his life and he wasn't the least bit sorry, but he didn't want to complicate things even more then they already were. He felt for her, and he had even admitted to himself that he loved her. And her actions the night before, her actually giving up her virtue and reputation to him, a damned thing, made it clear that Elena might even be in love with him. But he didn't want to hurt her or use her, and he knew too well what his nature was. He needed to be careful around her.

Damon put on a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans and walked to his bedroom again, however he was startled as Elena was crying on the edge of the bed. He flashed to her before she could blink.

"What's the matter?" He asked her with genuine care in his voice.

"What's the matter?" Elena repeated, "This…This, Damon. This is what happened."

Damon was about to ask her what she was saying but then he realized that she was holding something in her hands. His eyes widened and his blood ran cold at the picture Elena was holding.

_Katherine 1864._

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><p><em>What do you think, guys? I got inspired from lot of things to write this chapter. Of course, my obsession <em>_**Shadow Souls**__ in the mention of the Dark Dimension, and a small reference to where Damon had to beat Elena as punishment but he channeled away the pain. The 'loyal to each other and not kill each other' was kinda inspired by my other obsession __**True Blood,**__ (__**Team Eric, anyone**__?) and lastly of course the scene where Elena found about Katherine in the tv show. _

_Oh, and I apologize for cutting the love scene… But I don't really write smut. I'm still young to even know how to write smut and besides, I wanted to keep this T rated ;)_

_Anyway please, please, please, REVIEW_


	7. Explanations

A\N Thank you for all your kind words! This is my favourite story so far, 80 reviews already! Twenty more and we'll get that nice hundred ;)

Anyway please enjoy this chapter and review… Oh, and I'm so stupid, I realized _now _which button I have to click to get that line that divides the page. Seriously, I'm so dumb…haha.

~Amy

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><p>"I don't want to hear it!" Elena screamed, tears were now streaming heavily down her cheeks as Damon took a step towards her. She backed away until she found herself backed up against the wall, and Damon grabbed her face in his hands firmly.<p>

"Just listen to…"

"No, I don't want to deal with your lies," Elena said, breathing heavily and her eyeliner smudging all around her eyes. She jerked away from him, and then her back slowly slid against the wall until she was now on the floor, her head buried between her knees. She let out a sob that was heartbreaking.

Damon couldn't bear to see her in this state. He reached out to touch her but she flinched away from him as if she was scalded.

"Don't touch me."

Damon kneeled down in front of her. "I can explain. I _need _to explain."

"What do you have to tell me, Damon? That I just gave myself to you or that you used me as your slut to replace her?"

"Damn it, Elena!" Damon spat, his fist going directly to the wall next to Elena's head, and she closed her eyes, her body shaking violently. Damon instantly regretted it when he saw that he was scaring her.

He wrapped a gentle arm around her and this time Elena let him. He pulled her slowly up and guided her to the bed.

"I know this picture must've confused you," Damon brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "But I want to explain. Please give me a chance."

Elena stood silently waiting, though her heart was breaking inside.

"Katherine was the first girl I loved," Damon started sincerely. "We met in 1864, during the war. She was with my brother Stefan first…but I wanted her, Elena. And she started to spend the nights with me behind Stefan's back. However, she later revealed her secret…she was a vampire."

"She's the one who turned you, isn't she?" Elena covered her mouth in a sudden gasp.

"Yes. She compelled us to protect her secret from each other until one day my brother decided to trust our father. He spiked his drink with vervain and when Katherine drank Stefan's blood it revealed who she was. The townspeople took her away from me…as I watched."

Damon paused and searched for Elena's face. She was avoiding his gaze.

"We desperately tried to save her, but our _father_ pulled the trigger on us himself."

Elena shivered, her eyes widening. "He killed you? Your own father?"

"He didn't want to have the Salvatore name spoiled," Damon spat, "We did everything that we shouldn't have done. She was a vampire, and they weren't allowed to live, my father hated them. Second, we were sleeping with her-both of us. At my time, certain actions weren't allowed… not before wedlock, at least. Anyway… They took her away from me, and for over a hundred and forty five years I wanted to break the spell that kept her in a tomb with the other vampires that were caught…"

"A spell?" Elena's eyes widened in fear. "Witches? Witches exist?"

Damon nodded.

"Oh my God… and Bonnie told me about her thinking she was a psychic! I didn't believe her…"

"Who's Bonnie?"

"She's a…She _was _a friend." Elena shrugged at the thought of Bonnie, her dear friend.

Damon nodded slightly. "I managed to get in the tomb located near Fell's Church, in Mystic Falls, this year-only to find that Katherine was not in the tomb. She is alive….but she never bothered to come and find me."

"So you used me as her replacement," Elena concluded, deeply hurt.

Damon took her chin in his hands and gently turned her face around to lock his eyes with hers. "When I first saw you, yes," He said truthfully. "I wanted nothing more than to take out my anger on you-in every way possible. I wanted to hurt you like she hurt me. I wanted to rip you apart," He was tracing her carotid artery with his finger now, and Elena fought the urge to step away. "But then I realized how much power you had over me. You made me feel, somehow…You made me want to protect you. That's why I couldn't stand the idea of a vampire ripping violently at your neck on my behalf. To be honest, you don't remind me of her at all. You are sweet and selfless, she was seductive and selfish."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Elena swallowed soundly.

"I appreciate you being honest with me," She said carefully. "But I can't just sit here and pretend that everything is normal. I can't… and I won't. So let's just deal with it the way it was, I am your food and you are my predator."

"Elena…"

"Please, if you ever felt something for me…you'll let this go," Elena begged, tears almost welling up again. "Don't make it harder than it already is."

* * *

><p>Months passed since Elena discovered Katherine's picture. During those months, their relationship only seemed to get distant over time. Damon tried to talk to Elena, but she just locked herself in her bedroom not even going for dinner. Once, Damon tried to stroke her cheek when he brought her food, but she just flinched away from him again, telling him that she couldn't bear it. He had to admit, without her his life seemed to be empty and this resulted to him draining and killing innocent girls hoping to ease him. He soon started to become snappy and once he even grabbed Elena and threatened her to turn her into a vampire if she doesn't stop behaving like this. But as soon as the words escaped his mouth, he instantly regretted them.<p>

"I brought you some coffee, dear," Larissa said quietly as Elena lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. When Elena didn't talk to her, Larissa slowly sat next to her.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Elena."

"I-I don't even know," Elena admitted. "I told you about the picture I found. I just keep screaming at myself to be a strong woman but inside I'm falling to pieces. I'm a complete mess, and I'm insecure."

"Honey, you are not a mess," Larissa said, touching her arm gently and talking to her like she was talking to her daughter. "You love him. I get it."

"I don't even know if I do…"

"Elena, I once told you that vampires often mix lust with love. However, if Damon wanted to keep on taking advantage of you, he would've. But he let you go, he let you be free to choose."

Larissa paused. "I lived with Damon longer than you, and I know him. He wants you, Elena-I'm still not sure in what way, but he does. He is lost without you, I can see it in his eyes. He is starting to turn off his humanity again and the key of his humanity is you, Elena. If you want him, the opportunity's now…when a vampire turns it off, he is immune to everything including love."

Larissa sighed and stood up. "It's not my job to tell you what to do. But you need to be careful, otherwise both of you will get hurt."

.

.

Larissa's words replayed in Elena's head as she stood in the warm bath tub, gently massaging her roots with the strawberry shampoo she liked. It was true, she was in love. She still had her doubts, but what else would she call it?

As she put on a tank top and black elastic pants, she grabbed her hairbrush and went back to her room to brush her hair only to find Damon sitting on her bed. He looked drunk. She hadn't seen him in a while, because he had been avoiding her since he threatened her.

Elena stood frozen near the bathroom door as Damon slowly lifted his head up to meet her gaze, and then he slowly moved towards her.

"Jenna's been freed."

Of all the things in the world, Elena definitely didn't expect this to be a part of them. Her eyes filled with happiness and her cheeks flushed red.

"Oh my God," Elena said when she found her voice again. "H-how?"

"The human rights movement took care of it." He answered simply, but Elena knew that Damon surely had convinced them.

"Thank you," She whispered, her heart beating fast.

Without warning Damon's hand shot and grabbed her wrist, placing it on his heart.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked in surprise, trying to jerk her arm away.

"Feel that?" Damon said in a whisper, "That's my faint heartbeat, because vampires don't have a strong one."

Unable to know what this had to do with Jenna, Elena stared at him as he turned her around, still tightly holding her wrist up. "Right here just below the ribcage…next to the spine, that's your way to a vampire's heart. To my death," He added, and his fingers slid under her tank top caressing her ribcage. Elena stopped herself from moaning as his fingers gently trailed circles in the same area, before moving to the hipbone and finally trailing her waistline with the feather-light touch of his fingertips.

He continued to press her back against him and his cheek was now pressed to hers, his lips inches away from touching her skin. "Don't fight me, Elena," He said, his voice pleading.

When Elena didn't move he pressed a kiss on her cheek and trailed his lips until they met her ear. "You want me like I want you. Like I need you."

"Please, stop," Elena weakly pleaded, but both he and she knew that Elena was lying.

"No," He growled next to her ear. It wasn't an angry growl, more of frustration and want and to get her to realize how much he wanted her. He pressed a kiss on her face. "Tell me you don't want me now, Elena. Look me in the eye as I hold you like this and tell me you hate me. And I will never bother you again."

He gently turned her around so that he could stare into her chocolate brown orbs, and Elena stared into his blue ones. No, it wasn't true, she couldn't say it. She wanted him. Her entire body and soul ached for him.

"I-I want you, Damon," Elena suddenly choked out, and Damon didn't need to be told twice before grabbing her face in his hands and kissed her breathless, his grip on her almost possessive as she gave in to his tight embrace.

"I love you," Damon breathed in her hair.

"I love you too," Elena said automatically, and to her own surprise, she really did mean it. She loved him, no regrets and no thoughts.

.

.

Elena was curled up to Damon's chest, and he was playing with her hair in a soothing and calm movement. She enjoyed the rhythm of his touch while he enjoyed the rhythm of her heart beating, her breathing and having her warm body next to him.

"Damon?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"What happens if I drink your blood when you drink mine?"

"Where did you get that idea from?" He said, kissing the top of her head.

"I…heard it before, I guess. What would happen?"

"It would take a relationship between a human and a vampire to an entirely different level, princess. Like binding them together…They will feel each other's emotions. They will know if the other's in trouble."

"Oh, I see."

"Would you consider doing that with me?" Elena said after a while, and she felt Damon tense up.

"Elena, blood sharing is a serious business," He said with a serious tone. "I want you to have a clear head when you decide to do it. As I said, we will be bound together-"

"I want to do it, Damon. I don't ever want to lose you."

"You won't," he assured her. "But you don't have to."

"I want to," Elena insisted.

Seeing her determination, Damon pulled her slightly and sat her between his legs, and letting his arm free her waist for a minute, he bit into his wrist and moved it to her mouth as in the same time his fangs slowly entered Elena's neck, slowly sucking on the blood, not hurting her more than necessary. She was enjoying it now, too, and as the bitter liquid entered her mouth she instantly felt the connection between them, the fire.

Damon was finding it hard to stop drinking with this going on. He could control himself, but he wasn't made of stone, either. Elena let out a small whimper of pain when Damon had been drinking for too long and with the sound, he immediately withdrew, feeling her pain through the connection.

"I'm so sorry, did I take a lot?" He said with sincere look in his eyes.

"I'm okay," Elena managed to whisper, though the pain in her neck was still not yet relieved. Damon cleaned the blood with his fingers and Elena now had two neat bite marks on her neck and he impulsively lay down and kissed them.

"Do you want more blood so that they will heal?" he asked her.

"No," Elena said with a smile. "I'm all good."

There was a sudden knock on the door and Damon was surprised since no one usually visited.

"I'll be back, princess," He said, pressing a light kiss to her lips.

Damon flashed to the door and opened it, only to see Duncan at the door. He stepped in easily and Damon shot him a cold look.

"Oh, come on, Damon. Usually you'll be happy to see me."

"Not the case today."

"Yeah, yeah…I know that I tried feeding on your girl and all," He rolled his eyes. "I thought she was just trash to you, I didn't realize you'll care."

"What brought you here, Duncan?"

"Vladimir sent me. He wants you and the girl to come to the residence for a talk."

"I'm not bringing Elena with me."

"Sure you are," Duncan flashed him an arrogant smirk. "Because Vladimir always gets what he wants. He wants you and the girl right now-Let's just say _especially _the girl," He rose his eyebrows seductively. "God, who doesn't want that girl? The fire inside her when she was in the room could be felt from miles away."

Damon's hands were itching to pin the bastard down, but he knew that he stood no chance against the authorities.

"Tomorrow, 11pm," Duncan ordered. "If you don't show up, _we _will."

With that, he vanished.

Damon took a deep breath. What did they want? Why did he say that Vladimir especially wanted Elena? No, this wasn't good. When Vladimir was interesting in something, he gets it. No, correction, when Vladimir was interested in a woman, he did everything in his power to make her his and then throw her away.

He wasn't going to let Elena get hurt. They weren't going to take her away.

She was his and his only.

* * *

><p><em>True Blood's Blood sharing thing was inspiring for this chapter.<em>

_Constructive Criticism is also appreciated. Please, help me reach one hundred so leave reviews ;)_


	8. Promises

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries; otherwise I'll be Damon's girlfriend.

A\N Glad you are enjoying this story! It's a public holiday here in Malta today so a quick update! I'm sorry I keep you waiting, but omg, I am so busy nowadays with school stuff! This chapter will start off as cute, but keep reading :P

PS: Is someone here from Malta\Speaks Maltese? I never met anyone who's Maltese from this site.

Please leave a review and tell me what you think.

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><p>"Who was it?" Elena asked when Damon came in the room again.<p>

He didn't answer her; he was too distracted by the scary thoughts in his mind. If Vladimir was interested in Elena…_No, _he closed his eyes fighting the thoughts away and turned to a now very worried Elena.

"Hey…what's wrong?" Elena stood up and went next to him, putting her hands on his face and gently forced him to look at her.

"Duncan came," Damon said slowly, apology in his eyes. He felt her tense up, and her hands on his face were no longer caressing him calmly.

"Well, what did he want?" Elena took a deep breath, keeping her voice calm as possible however she embraced herself for the worst.

"He wants me to take you to the residence."

"Where we went to last time…" Elena closed her eyes, a shiver running up her spine as she remembered the poor girl she tried to save, and her own very unpleasant experience with Duncan.

Damon knew what she was thinking, and it was his turn to wrap his arms around her tightly but at the same time gently, and he whispered into her hair, "I won't let anything happen to you."

Elena visibly relaxed as he held her.

When he finally withdrew, he whispered, "I still have to take you with me though. If we don't show up, they'll take you by force. I can't risk you getting hurt."

"I trust your decisions," Elena sighed, realizing that what she said was pathetic and stupid, but also very true.

Damon smiled at her and pressed her back to his chest. "Just remember one thing, Elena," His voice was soft as silk next to her ear. "I love you."

She felt him slowly push her hair over her shoulder so that he could brush his lips against the back of her neck.

"I love you too…" She mumbled as the hairs of her body went up with his light kiss.

* * *

><p>The next morning Elena woke up to the delicious smell of coffee and bacon. When her eyes were finally open, Damon greeted her with a big smile on his face and kissed her cheek.<p>

"Breakfast in bed for the human," He said as he handed her a cup of coffee. Elena reached out for the cup and smiled at him as she sipped some coffee. She wasn't sure of what would happen that night with Vladimir, however she was going to make the most of everything.

Damon stroked her arm as she drank. "Are you all right?"

"I'm a bit scared for tonight," Elena admitted.

"I don't blame you," He sighed.

The silence between them was uncomfortable, and Damon suddenly grabbed her hand. "I want to show you something."

Elena looked surprised, however she didn't comment as he guided her to the room in which they shared their first kiss.

"I wasn't lying when I told you that this room held many memories." He grabbed a photo and gave it to Elena. It was black and white; however Elena could see a very cute little boy with raven black curly hair.

"That's me when I was about seven," He smiled at Elena's reaction. "I was a child once, you know…"

"I just…never imagined you like this," Elena admitted, studying the boy carefully.

"I don't blame you. I miss me too." He went through another box and Elena peeked slightly.

"That's me and my mom."

"You never talked about your family."

"My mom died when I was nine. Her body weakened ever since she had given birth to Stefan. She died when Stefan was only a year old."

"I'm sorry," Elena said sincerely.

"My brother and I, we were close. I looked out for him and he loved me. However, when Katherine came between us it was different. Then I trusted my brother not to tell our father that Katherine was a vampire…and you already know how that ended. Since we both had drunk her blood we turned not long after that."

He paused for a while.

"In order to become a vampire, you must have a vampire's blood, die and then finally drink human blood to complete the transformation. If you don't drink human blood, you'll die. When I saw Katherine taken away, I wanted to die but my brother insisted that I'd feed."

"You never wanted this life…"

"I was young, Elena. All I pictured was me with Katherine, and I was ready to give up my mortality for her. However, when she died…I didn't want to be a vampire. I also didn't have anyone to turn to…I didn't trust my brother, my father _killed _us, to the townspeople we were dead. It was harsh."

"What was Katherine like, though?"

"She was the opposite of you," He said without hesitation. "Katherine was selfish and seductive. She was born in the 1400s in Bulgaria and she had a child out of wedlock… her family sent her to England and then she settled in the US."

Elena instinctively grabbed Damon's arm. "You went through a lot. I never realized that your life was this cruel."

"You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Do you understand now why I won't let anyone hurt you? I've lost enough people in my life."

Feeling truly touched by his words, Elena pressed a deep kiss on his lips.

* * *

><p>The night was cold, and Elena's teeth clenched together as soon as her foot went out of the door. Even though it was a weird feeling, somehow in that house she felt protected. It was like she didn't know what would happen if she stepped outside the house.<p>

"Damn it's cold," Elena muttered as they settled in Damon's car. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a long sleeved top along with a scarf, and she immediately regretted that she didn't put on a jacket.

Damon shrugged off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, and she blushed as she cuddled in it, inhaling Damon's sweet scent.

"All better?"

She nodded.

When they finally arrived, Elena saw the same cold man of last time, but this time he didn't tell Damon to "put her upstairs".

"Vladimir's waiting for you in the dining room. Take the human with you."

Elena sniffed and shot the man a death stare as Damon hid his grin.

"Greetings," A tall, blonde man with green eyes stood up and Damon shook his hand politely, however Elena didn't fail to notice that he was in front of her protectively, as if he was a barrier between Vladimir and Elena.

She heard a cough and Elena turned around, seeing Duncan eyeing her from head to toe.

"You said you wanted to see us…?"

"Oh, why are you in such a hurry?" Vladimir smirked arrogantly and then turned to Elena. "I didn't have the chance to meet you last time, girl. However you clearly caused us some problems."

Elena's eyes narrowed. Duncan was the one that tried to attack her…

"Surely you must know that a vampire's nature is to feed," He came to stand close to her and his fingers shot out to trace a vein in her neck. "You tried to stop a vampire from feeding. You also tried to save a human who you didn't even know…why?"

"She wasn't being treated right!"

"There's no right or wrong, sweetheart."

"I read the rules. You can't physically hurt humans," Elena spat. "You made the rules."

"That's before your silly little government decided to let us take over control," Vladimir said arrogantly. "He knew that we would kill anyone we want to to get what we want. You must try to place yourself in our shoes, Elena…We get tired of playing with the same person. Just think of it like a child who gets Christmas gifts…He'll play with them for a while before he throws them away."

"We are not toys-" Elena started, but Vladimir silenced her.

He then turned to Damon. "You disappointed us, Damon. Here we were discussing about this case and we saw that you clearly haven't been a...how would I place it…Disciplined? Yes, you haven't been very disciplined with your pet. And worst of all, you fought against your kind. This is something which is not tolerable…"

"He attacked my human," Damon objected, "She wasn't his to feed on!"

"Come on, Damon. Do you honestly believe that you can fool me? That you saved her because she is 'yours'? You saved her because you feel something for her. I thought I knew you better than this, Damon…You said it yourself once, that love is a vampire's greatest weakness."

Vladimir stared intensely at Elena and rubbed his chin. "I can't let her ruin you, Damon. You'll thank me for what I'm about to say later, believe me."

"What are you saying?" If Damon's heart was beating, it would've stopped by now.

"I want the girl here…and then she'll be sent for a public auction in the Dark Dimension."

Elena's face paled, and Damon flashed to Vladimir, pinning him down. "You can't do this!"

"Silly little fool," The other said as he was suddenly on top of Damon, holding him by the neck. "Look at what she made you! You used to be a god, Damon. She brought you to nothing."

"I'm not going to let you take her away! You'll have to kill me before you lay a finger on her, you little piece of shit!"

"Oh, I would gladly kill you," Vladimir held his gaze. "But I'm just hoping that you'll wake up after she's gone."

Duncan instantly came from behind Elena and exchanged glances with Vladimir. "What shall I do with her?"

"I want you to tie her up in one of the bedrooms upstairs. I want a decent talk with her."

Duncan nodded cruelly. "Vladimir, you know I can't help myself…"

The other rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, it wouldn't hurt too much," He brushed her hair back and forced her chin up, and his fangs were suddenly piercing her neck harshly as Elena bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. Damon was right-If a vampire intended for it to be hurtful, it would be.

"Stop!" Damon got out of Vladimir's grasp and pushed Duncan away from Elena. She fell, whimpering in pain as she held her neck.

"Duncan, take care of Damon. I'll deal with her myself."

In a second, Elena was carried away like she weighed nothing and Vladimir locked the door behind him.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Elena pleaded.

"You know why," He said, almost in a chiding tone.

"I was trying to save her…I didn't do anything wrong."

"You don't know what happened after you left, do you?" Vladimir moved slightly closer. "That girl ended up in the Dark Dimension because he couldn't stand the idea that a little girl like you stopped him from feeding. You pretty much signed her death sentence, sweetheart."

He kneeled down in front of her. "Vampires always get what they want. You should know that. In the Dark Dimension, especially-You have no chance of getting out once you're in. There are no ties to humanity…Only pain and death."

Elena shivered, fear taking all over her body. What was going to happen to her? No, Damon had promised. He wouldn't let them hurt her, right?

He never went back on his promises.

Would he now?

* * *

><p><em>I hope it wasn't too dark, however I was trying to explain how much Elena was lucky compared to other people. <em>

_Definition on the Dark Dimension's on chapter six, however I would go into detail later. The books, as I already said, will be very inspiring for future chapters._

_Please leave a review!_


	9. Dark Dimension

Omg I reached and passed 100! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Also thank you for those that are PM-ing me, I appreciate every mail you send.

Another thanks for the new readers that added my story on alert and favorite, there were so many! It is also my favorite story to write.

As I said on chapter one, there might be some stories which deal with human\vampire companions, however I am not doing any spin offs, this one's just my plot and very loosely based on Shadow Souls. :)

Enjoy,

~Amy

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><p>Elena had lost count. She didn't know for how long she had been there, and she most definitely didn't know for how long she was going to stay. Her room was locked, and sometimes she could hear Damon's voice. What scared her, though, was that she didn't see him in a very long time now and she didn't hear from him either.<p>

He promised that he wouldn't leave her alone, but then there she was locked up in a bedroom upstairs, often hearing cries of pain coming from the other poor humans that were being fed on unmercifully. She didn't know how many times she would cover her ears with her pillow each night, praying for the innocent.

She too wasn't in a nice situation. Duncan and Vladimir were making her life impossible, especially Duncan. He intimidated her so much, the way he looked at her and the way he treated her sent shivers up and down her spine.

The door shot open and Vladimir appeared, tossing a bag at Elena. "Make yourself presentable," He ordered. "You'll be taken to the Dark Dimension at sunset."

Her breath caught in her throat as the words escaped from Vladimir's mouth. She didn't think it would be this soon. No, she wasn't prepared for this, she wasn't prepared at all.

When she didn't move, Vladimir grabbed her arm and hauled her upwards.

"Where is Damon?"

"He's in the room next to you, knock yourself out…it is your last day, after all."

When Vladimir vanished Elena walked to the room next to her and her face paled as she saw Damon's face, they clearly had tortured him. She ran to him, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly as her tears stained his shirt.

"Did they hurt you? Are you okay?" Damon was kissing every inch of her face now. "They wanted me to stay away from you, Elena. They threatened that if I came near you they would do what they did to me…on you."

Elena shivered as she saw the stake marks on Damon's body. He sounded weak and tired, and his handsome face looked sick.

"Why aren't they healing?"

"They put vervain with the stake," He managed to explain. "Vervain slows down the healing process. And I'm not drinking blood, either."

"You have to take some of mine," Elena said, giving him her wrist.

"No, Elena. I had promised you that I would never hurt you again."

"Damon, I trust you. You need it."

After a few more moments of hesitation, he brought her wrist to his lips, and after he kissed it gently he dug his fangs in her skin. A bite on the wrist was more painful, as Elena clearly noted, however her blood seemed to be doing the trick. He backed away after no longer than five seconds.

"Thank you," He said, kissing her head.

Elena braced herself for the worst as she closed her eyes.

"What's the matter, princess?" He asked with huge concern in his voice.

"They are taking me away tonight," Elena managed to choke out, tears welling up from the corner of her eyes.

Damon's widened, and Elena feared that he was going to explode. His voice came out as a loud growl, and in a second he had her pinned to the wall. His hand rose to touch her cheek, and as he bored his eyes to hers Elena stood frozen.

"No one is going to take you away."

"Damon, Vladimir-"

"You are not always right, Damon," A voice came from behind him and Damon turned around to see Vladimir. "The girl _will _be taken to the Dark Dimension. And as requirement by the law, you are to stay here. You fought against a vampire, Damon. Usually that would've lead you to your death, but those with greater authority than me forgave you this once. However, they insist that you'll stay with us-meaning that you need to change to the Damon we knew."

"I am not going to let you take Elena away from me…"

"You really do love her don't you?" He spat, his eyes narrowing in disgust. "What if I tell you that Katherine is very much here?"

With that, Damon stopped frozen in the middle of the room.

"Where?" He roared.

"Katherine wasn't in the tomb, and that's a fact," Vladimir stated with a devilish grin. "However a few years ago she was indeed caught almost exposing us and she was brought here."

Damon was breathing loudly now, and Vladimir flashed him the same grin. "Let's make a deal," He said, "You'll become one of us and I'll set Katherine free. She is locked in a safe place, of course only her corpse, two years without blood is too much for a vampire. However, this girl here has to go."

Elena shivered as Damon was clearly lost in thoughts. Would he really choose Katherine over her?

"Screw you and your deal," Damon spat. "I don't have any desire to see Katherine ever again. Now leave me and my girl alone, or I swear to God I will kill everyone in this house including you."

In an instant, Vladimir pinned Damon down and his perfect white fangs appeared. "Bringing up Katherine was just a gesture of kindness," He groaned. "I want you here, Damon, and you'll stay here. You seem to forget who you are talking to, and I know that this isn't you. And now that you refused Katherine… it just keeps confirming that the sooner this girl leaves, the sooner you'll recover from this insanity."

Vladimir grabbed Elena and pushed her forwards. "You can't possibly tell me that you feel something for this measly human?"

Damon tried to get up, but he pushed him again.

"You should only see them as a source of food and entertainment," The other said, trailing the vein along Elena's neck with his finger. "Why don't we share her, Damon? There's enough blood for us both. Aren't you tempted?"

"Don't you dare touch her," Damon roared, and a huge strength came over him and he pulled Elena protectively behind him. And then, in a brief moment, the stake Damon had been holding ended up in Vladimir's heart. The latter let out a big cry of pain as his corpse fell to the floor.

"Elena, you have to get out of here!" Damon said as he grabbed her hand. "You have to get away from here as fast as possible. Here," He handed her a bottle. "This is vervain. Use it on anyone who gets in your way."

"W-What about you?" Elena cried, still in shock.

"They will come after me, Elena, and they will take you away too. You have to try and escape, the first chance you get…"

Before he could even finish his words, three vampires kicked the door open and as they saw Vladimir's dead body it all happened very fast. Elena was yanked by her hair off the floor while Damon was sprayed with vervained water, and his cry filled the entire room. Without warning, Elena found herself next to Duncan.

"What's going on?" He demanded to the vampire that was carrying Elena. He practically threw Elena to the ground, and whispered, "Vladimir's dead. Damon Salvatore killed him."

At the same time, Damon along with three other vampires entered the room. Damon was kneeling on the ground now, his body burned with vervain and suddenly Elena felt herself being pushed so that she was near Damon. Without warning, Duncan came next to Elena and _slapped _her.

Even though Damon barely had the strength to hold his head up, he bared his teeth, until he felt himself being kicked in the stomach.

"This is all because of you," Duncan roared, "I lost my best friend because of you! Guards, I want you to deliver her to the Dark Dimension and make sure that she suffers! She killed our leader, our friend…"

"No," Damon gasped as they pulled Elena off her feet, "I'll take her place! I'll do whatever you want, just please…set her free! I killed him, Elena didn't do anything…"

"Damon, it's no use," Elena screamed. "I have to go. Otherwise you'll end up hurt…"

"I won't let you-"

But before he had a chance to blink, a wooden stake was in his chest, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

><p>Elena let them practically drag her after them after Duncan took out his revenge on her, feeding on her again. Her neck was sore and she knew that she was about to pass out soon. She stopped fighting against them since they were only dragging her after them tighter, one of them grabbing her from her underarms in a bone crushing grip, obviously intending to hurt her.<p>

Elena yelped as they threw her on the backseat.

"Hands!" One of them roared, but before she could even figure out why he had pulled her hands and handcuffed them tightly behind her back, and strapped her in. The doors were all locked, and tied like she was in the middle seat, she didn't have any hope of escaping. Darkness overwhelmed her and her eyes finally gave in to the darkness.

* * *

><p>She woke up to a very loud and rough voice along with light tapping on her shoulder. One of her captors had carried her and now she was finally awake to see that they were in some kind of meadow. She stiffened as she felt the pain from behind her back and her captor seemed to realize because he removed the handcuffs. However, he continued to hold her tightly.<p>

Finally they stopped and the man holding her easily tossed her around to the other one like he was passing a handball. He then started to chant words in what seemed like Latin and Elena gasped as a big hole on the floor appeared. It looked deep and black and Goosebumps appeared all over Elena's body.

"Hold her tight," He said as he jumped in the hole, and before Elena had time to scream, she was in the hole as well.

The place looked like a cave. It was dark, and it looked exactly like some sort of underworld. Elena shivered as the other dragged her behind him and then she could see a brown eyed man with brown hair.

"Human for the Dark Dimension?" he asked indifferently.

"Yes," Her captor replied.

"Three keys," The brown eyed said.

They continued to walk until Elena felt something heavy lay around her waist. To her horror, she saw a big silver plaited chain bounding her waist and her arms were now tied too.

"Sorry, humans enter this way in the dark dimension," the other replied, not sorry at all. He tugged at the chain and Elena yelped as she tried hard not to follow. But with one light pull, she was on her feet again, having no choice other than to walk.

When they seemed to reach the end of the long path they were walking on, the other vampire unlocked the door and Elena quickly found herself in another dark room.

"Keys?"

This time it was a red head that spoke.

They handed her the three keys and she smiled at the vampires. "You can pass now."

One of her captors, Steven, tugged at her chain again and she magically found herself into a very large hallway. There seemed to be lots of activity going on, but Elena's eyes widened in horror as she realized that they were all humans: They were being forced to work! There was even a pregnant woman struggling for breath and a small boy was with his father-What the hell was this place?

Shivers ran up and down her spine as lots of faces stared at her. She could've sworn that there were ones calling her Katherine. In a moment, the men were sniffing at her, and after they found out she was human, all of them started to yell, "Who does she belong to?"

"She's required here by the law. Her master disobeyed," Steven said as he ignored Elena's shivers and pleas to get the hell out of there. "And no… you can't buy her from me. Her sentence is public auction."

No. No. No.

The sentence brought very non-pleasant images to the poor girl's mind. She was young, how could it be? How could she be in this mess? This was not fair. Where was Damon? She needed him right now. His touch always seemed to soothe her.

Then a thought came through her mind…She was scared that she could die even before she was 'sold'. Because she feared that her heart wasn't strong enough to take that kind of news.

And she was right, because her heart stopped a little as she heard someone calling her name.

_Please tell me what you think!_


	10. Ultimatum

A\N: My Christmas holidays started on Thursday and now I can start uploading more frequently though I have a mountain of homework to do. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as usual, please review.

I wish my readers a very happy and blessed Christmas, and stay safe!

~Amy

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><p>Please God, let me imagine that horrible voice, Elena thought as her eyes squeezed shut. But when she felt a cool breath on her neck, she knew that this wasn't her imagination.<p>

Stefan Salvatore.

Elena whimpered as she remembered the first time she stepped into Damon's house, the day when Stefan had tried to attack her and Damon saved her. She remembered Damon's story about Katherine, and the other Salvatore brother. Damon had warned her that Stefan practically lived for blood and the idea scared her, even by the way he was eyeing her right at that moment, it was like he was ready to kill her.

"What is she doing with you, Steven?" Stefan was asking, his gaze still focused on Elena.

"Your brother screwed up, mate," Steven said as he turned to face her. "I think this little brunette here used her charms on him." He let out a small chuckle.

"What's going to happen to her?"

"She's sentenced to a public auction."

"This means that you can't give her to me…" Stefan narrowed his eyes and turned to her again. His gaze was so blatant that Elena felt very exposed and wrapped her arms around herself, unable to look at his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Stefan," The other replied in a sincere voice. "But you know Duncan…Damon killed Vladimir."

Stefan's eyes shot up. "He _killed_ him?"

"He's dead," Steven confirmed. "He messed with this little girl here and he killed him. Can you see the effect she has on us?"

"Hmm, you really are trouble, aren't you?" Stefan smirked and he ran his fingertips along Elena's bare arms, and in return she backed away.

He sighed deeply and Steven cleared his throat. "I'll guess I see you around, Stef."

"Oh, you will. I'll be at the auction."

Elena didn't make an effort to hide her gasp as the words left Stefan's mouth. If she ended up with him, only God knows what will happen to her.

She was too occupied with her thoughts to realize that Steven was tugging at the chain again, and that suddenly there were over a hundred faces staring at her.

* * *

><p>Damon woke up sore and in pain, however as soon as his head raised up the first thought that came to his mind was <em>Elena. <em>

After making an effort to widen his eyes, Damon's vision cleared and he realized that he was in a cell. His arms were bound behind his back and it was very dark in the room.

"Finally, you're awake."

Damon's head whipped around to see Duncan looking at him with so much hatred in his eyes.

"What have you done to her?" Damon swallowed his own saliva, his lips so dry that he barely had the strength to talk.

"Who, the human girl?" Duncan raised his eyebrows. "She's in the dark dimension. Public auction, of course. Meanwhile, you and I shall have an agreement."

"Screw you," Damon spat. "Let me go before I kill all your humans and rip your heads off."

"You know, I agree on the first part," Duncan came to sit down next to Damon, however not close enough. "That's what I would like you to be, Damon. The man you were before you lost your mind. Let me tell you a secret, Damon."

"I don't want to hear any more lies…"

"Oh, I think you do. Do you know what the humans are preparing? They are planning war, Damon. They want to extinct us like they did to the Salem witches all those years ago. You weren't even born in the 1690s, but I was. I watched them hunt down every witch-A witch, for God's sake, a servant of nature-and burn them alive in the town square. And now they are planning to do that to us. Now tell me, Damon, which side are you in?"

"This has nothing to do with Elena…"

"This has _everything _to do with Elena," He interrupted. "Because if you are going to rebel against your kind now, what are you going to do in the future? Trust me Damon, if this is war, the first humans that will be tortured will be those in the Dark Dimension. What are you going to do, kill every vampire that lays a finger on her? Kill your own flesh and blood?"

Damon was silent, he knew that he had no chance of winning.

"And if I get you Elena back," The other continued, "Is there a guarantee that she will not turn against us when the humans start to rip us apart, one by one? Let's face it, Damon. Even if you claim that you love her, you still locked her inside your house, you still took her freedom and her blood. Do you think she would stay with someone that will treat her like that for the rest of her life?"

He cleared his throat. "Love is a vampire's greatest weakness. Keep in mind that for us vampires, human girls are only useful because of their pretty white throats."

Duncan stood up and Damon just glared at him. "The authorities are giving you a second chance. I'll let you think about it, however if you are not going to stop fighting for Elena, you will be reunited with her…in _death_."

* * *

><p>Elena looked around her and she realized that she was being dragged in a huge room and suddenly she was thrown on the floor, in front of over a hundred people.<p>

"This human girl got taken away from her master, gentlemen," Steven was shouting at the top of his lungs, so that everyone, humans and vampires, heard her. "Like our law says in cases like these, this girl is to be sold right now at this very moment. Like usual, priority should be first given to those that does not have a human right now, whatever the reason is."

Loud voices surrounded the room and lots of people were discussing, arguing and even shooting dirty looks at Elena. Of course, a girl taken away from a vampire was something almost completely unheard of and everyone seemed to be curious about this mysterious girl who looked like the 'manipulative bitch' Katherine Pierce that was physically involved with both Salvatore brothers, and the girl that _seduced _a vampire.

"Silence!" Steven roared, and then everyone seemed to shut up. "The highest bid after five minutes will win."

And sounds filled Elena's ears once more. Prices were getting higher each second that passed and the stopwatch in Steven's hands was going down. When the watch finally stopped, the price she heard last was that of two hundred thousand dollars, and the voice she heard was very unpleasant.

"Stefan Salvatore," Steven said with a smile. "You won the auction."

* * *

><p>Elena barely had time to process what was going on around her. Men cursing, people screaming…<p>

However she then found herself dragged from her arm away from the crowd and for a moment she actually thank God for that. The looks the men were giving her, like they were going to rip her throat out at that very moment, and the anger in some bidder's faces, was making her feel so scared that she thought she might pass out soon.

She realized that the person that was now holding her arm was Stefan Salvatore and they were now in some sort of elevator, only of course, it wasn't one. This place was magical and mystical, of course in a bad way, she was thinking of it like some sort of vampire underworld.

"This is our room," Stefan's harsh voice brought her to reality and Elena shivered as she heard him say 'our' room. She had to share a room with a blood thirsty vampire who, by the experience of their first meeting, was nothing like Damon.

She heard a low _click _and she immediately realized that she was being locked in. The keys were safely tugged in his pockets, and there was no way in hell that she could just get them from him. He blurred in front of her.

"Elena Gilbert," He said, saying both words in a slow, monotone voice.

Elena just stared at him.

"Stefan Salvatore, I'm sure you heard everything about me." He extended his hand, expecting her to shake it, but like she had done with Damon, she didn't. But instead of withdrawing his arm like Damon did, Stefan grabbed her arm with an unbreakable force and pulled her towards him. Elena immediately realized that he wasn't patient.

"I don't know how Damon treated you," Stefan spat, "But I promise you, little girl, that I am not very patient. Don't give me a reason to tear you apart before I get even started, because you won't live to see tomorrow."

With his cold words, Elena froze and Stefan smiled pleasantly, pleased with his work.

"That's better," He said when she quieted. "Now, let's try again. As you already know, I am Damon's younger brother. I'm sure you heard the story of our sweet beloved Katherine, too."

Elena nodded her head in agreement.

"I don't care what Damon told you, and I don't owe you any explanations, either. I only care about your blood, and about my revenge for my brother."

She thought correctly, then. The main reason why he claimed her was to taunt his brother, and Elena knew that this situation was worsening each second. Because if Stefan really wanted revenge on his brother, no one knew how far he could go. She fought off a shiver as she imagined her bloody body in Stefan's arms, and Damon opening the door to find her dead, and she tried to not imagine the pain Damon would feel.

She felt Stefan's fingers play with her hair, and he was taking a lock of one of her tight curls and twirling his fingers around it.

"We'll get along nicely together, Elena," Stefan whispered, "Just be a good girl."

Psychopath. That was the one word that Elena could think of to describe Stefan. And she knew that if she didn't find a way out of there, they will be lucky if they find a piece of her hair after her death.

* * *

><p>"Have you thought about what I told you earlier, Damon?" Duncan entered the cell once more, but Damon shook his head stubbornly.<p>

"I will find a way out of here," He said through clenched teeth. "I'm never going to side with you, Duncan. You have my word."

"Figured it," Duncan spat. "Unfortunately, I'm going to give you an ultimatum."

Damon hissed, but Duncan kept going on. "I have full control over the Dark Dimension. One little call and I can have the girl killed and her body brought here in front of you. Would you want that in your conscience?"

He took him off guard for sure, because he couldn't even speak with both rage and fear.

"Or," This time Duncan smiled-"You can join us in our little army against vampires, and we won't touch a hair on the girl's head."

Damon realized that he didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"What about her new owner? What if he kills her?"

"I'll try and make sure that he won't," Duncan grinned devilishly, he was winning. "However, you shall never speak to the girl again, yet alone see her. Do we have a deal?"

"I-"

"Do we?"

"Yes," Damon said, his teeth still clenched together.

"Excellent choice."

Duncan unchained Damon and as the latter stretched his sore arms, Duncan said, "Oh, and if you try to go to the Dark Dimension yourself you will both pay the price. As I said, I have full control on the place. If you as much as step a foot in there-"

"I got it, Duncan," Damon hissed. "I'm not risking her life."

"Good."

Duncan left leaving the door open now, and Damon felt something wet moving down his eye. At first, he thought it was sweat, however he soon realized that after over one hundred years, he was actually crying.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," Damon whispered in the thin air.

* * *

><p>And from miles away, Elena felt sadness overpower her, and in her mind she could've sworn she heard "I'm so sorry, Elena."<p>

* * *

><p>A\N So that's all for now. Just to clear things up:<p>

_Elena and Damon had shared blood, so their emotions can be felt. I'll focus mainly on fear, sadness, anxiety and stuff like that. _

_I wanted to make this a story about hope. They took her away from him, gave him an ultimatum, and he lost her. However, through their blood sharing and love, Elena still felt him apologizing. _

_Thanks for reading!_


	11. Out of body experience

A\N your reviews have all been awesome…And those are what encourage me to write more! 121…I'm so grateful!

More Shadow Souls inspiration (Remember Elena visiting Stefan in his cell, anyone? ;) )

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>It had been two days that Elena felt the connection, and deep down, she knew it was because of the blood they shared, and she put all her energy to try and call on him but she wasn't even sure if that was possible. Sometimes, she would feel his emotions in her mind and other times dreams haunted her.<p>

And worst of all, she was afraid of Stefan. During the past two days, they didn't interact much and he barely noticed her half of the time but in those two days she learnt everything about him. He was reckless, he was cold…He was the opposite of Damon. She heard him talking to a girl, clearly seducing her, and when they left the room she instantly knew that he had took advantage of his compulsion to feed and do who knows what to her. Elena had locked herself in the bathroom, having nowhere to go, hell; she didn't even have a bed. She was scared that it might be her turn, and he was even worse when he was under the influence of alcohol.

As Elena lay on the small sheet, hoping to get some sleep, her mind flashed back to Stefan, and the more she thought about him the more she needed to feel Damon's hand touching her gently to soothe her. Stefan was out of the room and she was locked in, the 'room' consisted of a bedroom and bathroom, and on the left was a door that led to a small room in which she had put a sheet to sleep on. Elena shivered as she lay on the sheet, feeling the cold temperature through the thin material.

Her blood froze in her veins as she heard the door unlock and rough footsteps. For the first time in two days, Stefan was going to sleep in the room, and she saw his puzzled look on his face when he saw her. Without warning, he hauled her upwards.

"What are you doing here?"

"S-sleeping," Elena whimpered.

"So, why aren't you in bed then?" He asked sternly.

"I-"

"Get under the covers," he ordered her simply.

She was about to protest but thought better of it. She didn't want him near her, but the tone of his voice wasn't just an order you can back away from. It seemed like the type of order that will get you killed if you disobey. Without any more hesitation she climbed on the bed, and Stefan went into the bathroom. She had smelled scotch all around him, and even though it was dark she could've sworn she saw traces of blood on his lips.

When Elena didn't hear the water she forced her eyes shut, trying to avoid talking to him in any way possible. But she knew deeply well that her heart rate would expose her.

He threw himself on the bed next to her and she stood completely still, still praying that he would just leave her alone. At first, he seemed to fall asleep but then after a few moments she felt a strong arm wrapping around her waist.

"You should really calm that poor heart of yours, sweetheart," Stefan whispered in her ear. "It exposed you."

He pulled her closer and buried his head in her neck. "Who knew that I could have a human Katherine next to me?"

"I am not Katherine…"

"Oh. So I was right then, you are awake," Stefan smirked as his finger moved up and down her side, caressing her waist. She tried to scoot away but he didn't let her.

Without warning, he yanked her head back and her hair was brushed away. His lips placed kisses on her neck, showing her the true nature of a vampire and then she felt his fangs roughly tear her neck. She bit back a scream as she immediately slumped to unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>The next morning Elena woke up sore but as her hand raced through her neck she found the wound perfectly bandaged. However, she shot up as she found herself wearing only her bra and pajama bottoms and her heart skipped a beat. What did he do to her?<p>

Stefan was leaning against the door, eyeing her over. Then he rolled his eyes. "Your blood stained the entire top and sheets," He explained. "I'd thought I'd rather help you take it off then drain you during the night. What do you think, princess?"

Elena was about to say that she rather died than have anything to do with him but she bit back her lip. Stefan tossed her a shirt. "I got it for you today."

She immediately wore it.

Stefan sighed and cleared his throat. "Where are you from, girl?"

"Mystic Falls," Elena replied after two minutes of hesitation.

"My last one was from Mystic Falls," He mumbled. "I always liked strawberry blondes…but Jenna was taken away."

"Jenna?" Elena's head shot up in alarm.

"Jenna Sommers," He replied. "What, do you know her?"

"Jenna's my aunt," Elena answered, "They set her free, didn't they? It wasn't legal-"

"I'm surprised they did," Stefan interrupted. "It's the Dark Dimension. They don't really give a crap. Anyway, I'm glad though…otherwise I wouldn't have you to play with right now."

Elena scoffed and Stefan hid his grin. "She didn't even taste like you," He whispered near her ear. "You've got the Petrova fire."

* * *

><p>Alaric Saltzman slid his back down the wall. Never in his life had he felt weaker than the past few days. The town he loved ended up in a complete mess, the vampires had attacked the town taking away lots of high school kids. The Lockwood Mansion had ended up like a refuge for the people that had their homes destroyed. Even worse, now children were being taken. Apparently, the truce was over-They wanted to get their filthy hands on every human.<p>

They had taken Jenna, and for that he swore a vendetta. He had taken Jeremy in to help him and the youngest Gilbert started to give his heart and soul to save his aunt and sister. He practiced and encouraged people to fight their fears. They were practically planning war, and even though they knew that it was hard to win many people were becoming good with stakes.

The thing was that everyone was heartbroken. Having a loved one disappear or worse, taken violently right in front of you caused heartaches and helplessness. Bonnie was also one of these people. After Elena got taken away, Caroline too was captured and Bonnie teamed up with Alaric exposing to him what she really was. She wasn't even sure of it yet, but the power inside of her showed her that she wasn't just a mind reader, she was a witch. She tried to use lots of spells to create weapons against the monsters but she didn't even know herself yet, yet alone her powers.

Alaric's heart almost gave out as he heard a young girl screaming and crying that she wanted her mother. The things he had been seeing in the Lockwood's house were unbearable and sometimes bleeding persons knocked on the door calling desperately for help. However, the house was their only hope into helping people survive since it was the only house that was practically surrounded by vervain, and weapons which were always ready in case of an attack.

His girlfriend's Jenna's disappearance had tortured him. He fought for her, and the vampires who cared about human rights did everything in their power. She was supposed to be free now but ever since she had arrived on the doorstep of the Lockwood mansion she had been an entirely different person. It was like she was going through a trauma, and she wouldn't eat anything or speak to anyone except him.

Jeremy rubbed a ten year old's girl arm and gave her a piece of chocolate. They were running low on food since obviously there was no commerce, and if there wasn't food, there wasn't energy for practice either. Every man, even if they were the most important businessmen, ended up like soldiers. But they weren't going to let them win.

This was war. Innocent die, but he believed that the human race will permanently extinct all vampires from this world.

* * *

><p>"You know you want to," Duncan smirked, grabbing a young sixteen year old brunette and pushing her so that she stumbled into Damon's arms. "She also looks a little like your Elena. Didn't she has those doe, puppy eyes?"<p>

Damon growled at the mention of Elena's name. He was going crazy without her, and he knew that there was a way he could communicate with her somehow. He wanted to let her know that when all this passes, he will come for her. But for now, he had to make them believe that he's on the vampires' side, that he will stand for his kind in the upcoming war.

"Go on," Duncan encouraged. "They love the feel of your fangs."

Damon tried the best he could to avoid the poor girl's eyes and his teeth slid down her throat, trying to be gentle as possible to avoid hurting her. He didn't want to, but he had to to make him believe that he will show no remorse.

"Finish her off," Duncan ordered.

"Please, don't," The girl begged, her brown eyes flashing with tears.

"I don't have to," Damon said, "I want to keep her around. Play with her a little, and then I'll kill her."

"No, I'd say you'll kill her now."

"Duncan, I have a feeling that she'll taste much better when she's scared," Damon objected again.

Duncan paused. "Very well then."

* * *

><p>An entire week passed and during that week somehow Elena's hopes almost faded. She couldn't even focus on Damon anymore and even though she was glad that Jenna was saved from Stefan, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be the same for her. Her body was weakening already due to lack of various nutrition and lots of blood loss. Her entire body had marks, he liked to bite her and experiment with her wounds like she was an object. He wasn't just content with taking a drink from her neck, no, he wanted to suck the blood out of every wound.<p>

His alcohol problem also worsened, it affected him like it affected a human being. When he fed on her when he was drunk she'd end up almost suffocating with the pressure he puts. And today was one of those days…Her wrist was in his mouth, and he was having more than he should.

Elena tried to jerk her arm away but his grip was impossible to move from. Then, something very strange happened as the pain was even more maximized. She felt herself slumping into unconsciousness, only this time she then found herself higher instead of going to that deep sleep. Elena sucked in air as she found herself standing in front of Stefan's bed and she gasped at the sight. Her own body, weak and unconscious, was still serving Stefan's needs. She was seeing herself.

Was she dead?

However, she knew that it was impossible. Stefan wouldn't just kill her like that. Her eyes widened as she remembered another name.

Out of body experience.

Then, there was that feeling in her again, the connection, the…love. Damon.

Without warning, she found herself standing in a familiar room, and she quickly realized that she was in one of Duncan's rooms. Damon was sitting on the bed, and remorse was written all over his face.

"Damon," She called out, crying now.

He looked up, and Elena almost screamed in joy. He could see her?

"Elena?" Damon asked, "No. This is just a hallucination."

"Damon, I'm right here," Elena said as she took his hand, "Oh my God…I can't believe it."

"Elena? How are you h…"

Damon grabbed her face, kissing her with fierce passion. "Oh my God, Elena…I've never stopped thinking about you for a minute."

"I felt you…in my mind, I felt you!" Elena cried.

"I did too," Damon said as he continued to kiss her. "Oh my God… this is a blessing."

"How are you here?" he asked as he embraced her.

"I don't know…Stefan was feeding on me and I just…appeared here, I guess."

"Wait, Stefan? What does Stefan has anything to do with it? Is he..."

"Your brother bought me," Elena said quietly. "He won the bid."

Damon froze, and then he was about to say something when he eyed her shoulder. "Where did you get those?"

"What?"

"Those bites, in your entire body…did Stefan do them?" His face paled in horror, and his hands clenched into fists.

Her silence confirmed it.

"I will get you out of there, Elena…I…"

But Elena felt her body fading from the room, and as she tried to call Damon's name, she found that she had no voice. She faintly heard Damon calling her, but then there was a light push and her eyes snapped open, finding herself on Stefan's bed.

"Thank God, I thought I killed you," Stefan let out a sigh of relief, "You have been out for three fucking hours! Don't ever do that to me again, do you understand?" He was growling now, even though he was the reason she was gone in the first place.

"I don't…"

Stefan reached out to place his lips on her forehead. "Shh, we'll talk about it later," Stefan said, and stroked her cheek.

And with that, Elena was left alone, alone with her thoughts.

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><p>A\N I hope you liked it, please review!<p> 


	12. A deal

A\N Loved reading feedback! One of my reviewers definitely got Stefan's character right…Bipolar is the word she used :P

Of course, Stefan is OOC. Even though I adore Delena, I am a TVD fan and as a tvd fan, I have to be realistic and admit that Stefan loves Elena very much and he wouldn't hurt her.

Please leave reviews :)

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><p>Elena woke up her back pressed to a muscular chest, and a heavy arm laid around her waist. He seemed to like the idea of pulling her to him like she was his soulmate or something, and she didn't like it at all. For a few scary seconds she thought that the night before, that the visit to Damon, was just a weird malfunctioning of her body. After all, she had been unconscious when she had the out of body experience.<p>

But it couldn't have been. She could almost feel Damon's lips from the night before, and she remembered how her heart jumped with joy as he held her closer to his chest. As he embraced her, and the look on his face when he saw her body marked because of his brother. She thanked God Stefan wasn't there, otherwise they would've ended up killing each other.

Elena tried to scoot away from Stefan hoping to find something to eat in the small, motel room like fridge they had, but he refused to loosen his grip on her. His chin rested on her shoulder and he opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her with a very different tone of voice. Sweeter, in a way.

"I'm…better," Elena managed to choke. "But please, can you give me something to eat? I'm so hungry."

He refused to budge but pressed a kiss on her shoulder, in which Elena shivered involuntarily.

"Sure," He muttered after a while. "But we have to meet someone today, sweetheart."

"Who?" Elena's eyes widened, Stefan had never taken her out of there. He usually just fed on her and kept her locked up in that little room.

"Shh," a chuckle left his lips as he buckled the belt around his jeans and moved to the fridge. "Here. Eat up."

Elena hurriedly opened the container Stefan had tossed her, to find some very good-looking chicken cold sandwiches. She didn't understand how the hell they had electricity in this place since to her it looked like an underground cave, but all that mattered right now was to find more ways to connect with Damon again.

"Change to fresh clothes," He ordered her as he eyed a shirt and a skirt which were clearly new. "You have ten minutes."

With that, she heard him leave and she instantly finished eating her sandwich before changing to those new clothes.

She heard him unlock the door and he offered her his hand, which she lightly took. She also took the opportunity to study the things around her, there were other rooms next to each other. It was very similar to a hotel, only it was darker and there wasn't a single window.

Stefan guided her through a never ending corridor and she also saw men staring at her, one even licking his lips on her behalf. She decided to keep her eyes on her shoes, and Stefan suddenly whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about them, love. They want you cause you look like Katherine, she was a bitch." He raised her chin gently to face her. "But don't worry, sweetheart. You belong to me."

Elena took a long breath and fought back the urge to yell, scream, kick…anything that would've worked against all this. But she knew she was just a meal to all of them, no-not even a meal; a snack. She didn't realize that they were in a very big hallway now and Stefan said, "Give me your hands."

Before she could even ask why, her wrists were tied in front of her and Stefan lead her to the big room.

"Kneel," Stefan ordered her and at the same time a man appeared in front of them. Stefan shook his hands as Elena stood frozen, drinking in the man's features.

"Kneel," Stefan demanded again, this time his voice harsh. She sank onto her knees, avoiding any of the monsters' gazes.

"So…this is the precious Elena Gilbert."

The man came to stand before Elena and brushed her hair away from her face, staring at her like she was mesmerized. He inhaled near her neck. "So human."

"Yeah, and I look like your precious Katherine," Elena spat arrogantly. "Go ahead and undress me with your eyes all you want. I don't care."

But the second the words escaped her mouth, Elena instantly regretted them. She blushed, both of rage and shyness as she closed her eyes, waiting for something-anything-to happen.

"She's her doppelganger all right," the other smirked. "Where did you find her, Stefan?"

"She was my brother's. Apparently he screwed up and they sent her here, for a public auction. What shall I do with her, Elijah?"

Elijah smiled. "Stefan Salvatore…always the wise one. I asked you to bring her here, in front of me, because I need her for something. And, in order for that to happen, you have to make sure that you don't kill her or permanently damage her."

Elena stiffened. Damaged? What was she, a rag doll?

"What do you want me for?" She asked her voice breaking.

"It will all be explained in time," Elijah turned to Stefan. "I need some time alone with the girl."

"Of course."

The door closed shut and Elijah went near Elena, pulling her up. He untied her hands, and like a gentleman, he pulled out the chair for her.

"You and I have a lot to talk about."

"What is it that you want?" She asked tiredly, her body was still shaking. He could see the pain in her eyes, the confusion.

"First of all, I am not going to hurt you." His voice turned gentle now, and Elena found herself believing the man's words. She visibly relaxed and Elijah pulled out a chair and sat next to her. "I was never keen on keeping human slaves."

"Who are you, exactly?" Elena built up the courage to talk.

"I created this place many years ago. Nowadays, it belongs to Duncan since, as I said, I'm not keen on using humans as food. I don't have much say in all this anymore. My brothers came with the idea of having a place like this in which vampires and humans lived peacefully together."

"So it wasn't the way it is now?" Elena was surprised.

"No," He said quietly. "On the contrary, it provided refuge to people that lost their families because of werewolves and witches."

"Oh my God," Elena screamed out in surprise, "They aren't a myth?"

"My dear Elena, the world is a much more mysterious place than you can ever imagine."

Elena nodded slightly. "Why did it end up like this, then?"

"Because of my brother, Niklaus," Elijah stated matter-of-factly. "Since humans procreate the generation started to expand. As humans started to develop, they realized what we live on and started to consider us as demons."

He paused. "And when I say demons…It's not a metaphor, Elena. They considered us as the followers of the devil. And they wanted us dead."

Elena's head was spinning. This was certainly not what she expected.

"That's why lots of myths often mention holy water and crucifixes. Of course, they don't work on us, but this started a cold war between my brother and the human race. The real war started exactly when three men along with a witch killed my brother's lover, Charlotte Petrova."

"Wait…Petrova as in Katherine?"

"Charlotte Petrova was the original Petrova. Katherine and you are the doppelgangers. The two of you are the only doppelgangers in the world, since you serve for one purpose…a curse."

"The sun and moon curse?" Elena screamed out the name, and Elijah stared at her blankly. "How do you know that?"

"When vampires came out of the coffin, I read that," Elena said. "But wait. How am I connected to Katherine, Elijah?"

Elijah bit his lip, and stopped for a second before whispering, "Because you were adopted, Elena."

* * *

><p>"Bonnie, I need you here!" Alaric screamed as a twenty year old girl in the Lockwood mansion was gripping her stomach tightly. Her white shirt was filled with blood, and she was screaming in agony.<p>

"My baby!" She was screaming. "My baby's dead!"

"Shh, shh, hold on!" Alaric screamed, "Bonnie!"

Bonnie flashed to the girl, forcing herself to stay strong at the sight of blood. She put her hand on the girl's tummy and started to chant in Latin.

"What happened?"

"I fell down the stairs," The girl cried, panting in agony.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be okay…"

"I can't do this anymore, Alaric," Jeremy said, tears in his eyes. "There was a body count of twenty people. They died last night after they were brutally attacked by vampires. We can't help everyone. We have to fight back!"

"Jeremy, if we start the war now none of us will walk away from it," Alaric patted his shoulder for courage. "But I got Sheila and Lucy Bennett to work on finding the Dark Dimension. We have to free those people there."

"Dark Dimension?"

"It's where Jenna was," Alaric said. "But she was knocked out when they took her, and blindfolded when they brought her back. She can't help."

"Could it be that my sister's in there?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Elena's tears were streaming freely down her cheeks. Elijah had also revealed that the man she hated, John Gilbert, was her real father.<p>

"How do you know?" She whimpered.

"I've been keeping an eye on you ever since I learnt that Katherine Pierce wasn't in the tomb, when your lover Damon Salvatore opened it last year."

"But what do you w-want with me?"

"When the humans killed Charlotte Petrova Klaus made his first kill," Elijah explained. "We realized that he is part werewolf. Our mother had been unfaithful many years before so she made Klaus's werewolf side dormant after Charlotte died. I helped him create the so called sun and moon curse in order to get his hands on the doppelganger, and I almost succeeded. However, Katherine escaped from us and turned into a vampire. This lead me to you."

"So you need me to break Klaus's curse?"

"In order for the curse to be broken, a moonstone is needed. Then, a werewolf, a vampire and the human doppelganger are to be killed."

Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing. The way he said that was so natural, like he didn't care that he just threw a sentence like that to her. She didn't even have the strength to talk.

"Tell me, Elena," He continued normally, "Would you like to get out of this tragic place?"

"I can't, Duncan sent me here," Elena said as tears started welling up again.

"I have my ways."

"Of course I want to…"

"I am willing to set you free and send you back to Damon Salvatore if you stay put."

"What do you mean?"

"My brother has to be killed. I have my personal reasons why I want him dead. He will be vulnerable after the curse is broken."

Elena immediately understood. She would be dead after the curse.

"I am willing to set you free, and protect the people you love if you agree on helping me kill Klaus."

"You do realize that what you're asking me is…"

"Yes, you will die. However, all your family will be protected. I am offering you this deal as a kind gesture, Elena. I can just leave you here, or worse, give you to another vampire and then come for you whenever I like. Even worse, I can let my brother Klaus discover your existence, and he will kill you and everyone that you love if you try to run. If you accept this deal, you can be free and enjoy your last few months, or years, of human life, and your family will be protected."

He stood up. "I want you to think about it and give me an answer." He rubbed her arm softly and then he disappeared.

Elena realized that she doesn't have a choice in any of this. Despite her choices, she was going to die anyway. A lump in her throat made it almost impossible to breathe and her heart was beating way too fast. She didn't even realize that she was being held tightly by her arm and that Stefan was next to her now. In an instant, he blurred them to the room.

"What did he tell you?" Stefan said as he locked the door. Elena refused to tell him anything.

"Tell me," He urged.

"It's nothing," Elena muttered, but gasped when she found herself pinned down on the bed.

Stefan was holding her arms in an iron-like grip above her head. "When I say that you tell me something, you will do it," He growled.

"He told me about the Petrova curse," She choked out pitifully. "That he can help me get out of here."

Stefan remained on top of her. "Well princess, I don't give a damn about what he promised you. He might be the owner of this place, but you are still mine. And you'll be dead before I let you get away."

Elena closed her eyes as his lips hovered near her neck, and she heard him say, "Neck today, love."

Without hesitation, Elena leaned her head for him to have better access and then she focused on Damon's face. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain at all as the blood flew freely out of her neck to Stefan's mouth and after a light push, she found herself again at the same place as the night before.

* * *

><p>"Damon," She said gently to the man that was lying on his bed.<p>

His eyes immediately snapped open and he studied her face carefully. "Elena…Is that really you?"

She seemed puzzled by this reaction. "Yes, of course it's me…"

"I've been dreaming about you for months, Elena!" Damon cried as he held her face gently as if he feared that he would break her.

"Months? Damon, I visited you yesterday, remember?" Elena said, almost begging for him to elaborate.

"No you didn't," Damon said confused. "The last time I saw you was six months ago, Elena. You came to me in this room, and I thought it was a hallucination."

"No, no, it can't be! I saw you yesterday, Damon!"

Damon reached out for her and pulled her against his chest. "They have you all messed up, sweetheart, I swear to God I'll kill them all…"

"What do you mean, Damon?" She cried as he stroked her hair soothingly.

"Some vampires have special and favorite tricks," He whispered. "They are using our love and our connection for their entertainment. They are entering your mind, controlling it the way they like."

Damon kissed her hair. "It's going to be okay, Elena. I can feel everything that you've been going through now, but I'm not strong enough to come to you like you are doing. But I know everything. I know what my brother's been doing to you, Elena, and I will make him pay for it. And I know about the curse."

"You do?" Elena said, crying harder. "What am I going to do, Damon? You have to help me. I'm so afraid…and they will kill my family…"

"I'll protect them," Damon said in her ear. "I promise you. I will protect them. And as soon as I kill Duncan, I will come for you. Duncan said that if I ever step in there he will kill you so I'll make sure I'll put an end to him before he touches you."

There was a light knock on the door and one of the human maids said politely, "Mr. Salvatore, here are your new sheets." She made no acknowledgement of Elena.

"Only I can see you," He said softly when the girl left.

* * *

><p>"Tell me, girl," Duncan barked to the girl that brought Damon the sheets, "What did you hear?"<p>

"He was talking about you, sir," She said shaking. "He wants you dead. He was talking to someone, but there was no one in the room when I entered."

Fury built up in Duncan's body.

* * *

><p>"I love you, you know that, don't you?" Damon said as he captured Elena's lips with his.<p>

"I do," Elena replied. "I love you, too."

"Everything's going to be okay. You are my humanity, Elena. The people Duncan made me kill because of this stupid war…I can't believe I used to do it at my own free will. But don't worry, Elena I will see you again."

"And that will be granted soon enough," At that moment, the door shot open revealing a very angry looking Duncan. At that time, Elena's body disappeared from the room without her having control at all. "You want to kill me, right? You are training against humans against your will…I had hoped you wise up and change, but I was wrong. You want to see the girl? You will see her."

"What are you talking about, Duncan? I never…"

"Stop lying, Damon. I've been suspecting that you are against us, I just never thought that you could be unfaithful. You disappointed me once more, Damon. And for that, you and the girl shall both pay."

"Please, let me explain…"

"You want to feel human, I get that. And you will. By tonight, I will take you to the Dark Dimension and you shall both be punished. You better pray that the girl is strong because you won't be seeing her if she isn't."

Without warning, Duncan shoved a stake into Damon's chest.

"I know that you found a way to connect with her. I think the power of love is much greater than I have ever expected."

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><p>I just can't resist not including Elijah. No tvd story is complete without him…and well, the curse will play a part in all of this however not as strong as in the show. Please leave a review and tell me what you think.<p>

Thanks for reading


	13. Punishment

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Rights to LJ Smith (books) Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec (screenwriting) and the CW. This is purely fan fiction, no profits being made.

A\N Enjoy this chapter :)

**IMPORTANT: The punishment scene is found in the book Shadow Souls. I had to do this because it is important for my plot. I am not going to make it graphic, but I'd still say it's a bit of a heart ache…**

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><p>"She's been out for hours now…"<p>

To Elena, the room was literally spinning. She felt her body weaken and she desperately wanted to wake up but something inside of her was keeping her there. She didn't even know where and what the hell was going on but she could hear faint voices, very distant, until she welcomed the darkness.

"Do you think it is what we talked about earlier, Stefan?"

"Yes," He said without hesitation. "The girl is more than human."

"Well, I told you that the second you agreed to this job, Mr. Salvatore," The other man said. "The fact that she's a doppelganger is almost too much already. But I can't understand how she can connect with your brother."

"I sensed that about her ever since I fed on her," Stefan was playing with his fingers now, annoyed. "I did everything you asked me to do. I even convinced her that she had been here for only a few days instead of months to keep her…tamed."

"The witches must've something to do with this," The other man growled. "It has to be. No human can just…have an out of body experience. She has to be part something else, you are right."

"The thing is, I used Sambucus* on her. It weakened her yes, because I could taste that in her blood, but it didn't hurt her like vervain does to us."

"Whatever she is, all I care about is that you'll keep her safe. As in, safe from your brother. I need you to be prepared when I'm ready for her."

"You can count on me on that one," Stefan sighed. "But I want this to be over with…You know this isn't me. I like to toy with them before I eat them." He raised his eyebrows, and the other one smirked.

"Ah, no, my dear mate," He said in a perfect British accent, "You are not touching her if that is what you're thinking."

Then his eyes darkened, and Stefan was pinned to the wall. "No, seriously," He added. "I want you to keep doing what I say. Nothing more, nothing less. I have absolutely no control on how long this sacrifice will take to be done. All I want, like I already said, is that when I am ready my doppelganger will be ready to die. I spent five hundred years searching for your ex, Stefan. I don't plan on doing it with this one."

"Got it," Stefan said through clenched teeth. "But by the way, your brother had already made his move on her. She knows about the sacrifice, Klaus. He even offered her a deal."

"I know about the stupid deal," Klaus spat. "Which is why I'm here. Do you really think I'd risk coming in here for nothing?"

Stefan nodded.

"Elijah will be out of our way today."

"Wait, what? You are killing your own brother?"

"Elijah wants me dead, Stefan," Klaus said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Stefan nodded again in understanding.

"I have to go deal with my brother. You shall deal with the girl. And remember what I told you, Stefan…You know your limits."

"Got it."

* * *

><p>"Duncan," A woman greeted Duncan, with a flirt, in the Dark Dimension. Since practically Duncan was the owner, all the vampires treated him with respect. However, to the poor humans in the dark dimension Duncan was worse than the devil. In fact, he only showed up when there was a slave that had to be killed or punished.<p>

"Janet," He kissed her hand, gentleman-like. "I trust that you can help me with something?"

"Of course. What can I do for you?"

Duncan threw a look at Damon, who was standing between two of Duncan's guards. "Elena Gilbert," He muttered. "The human girl that I asked to be spared from death a few months ago. The one that was put up to an auction."

"Yes," Janet said, "She belongs to Stefan Salvatore."

"Good," Duncan smiled. "Stage two, I presume?"

"Stefan always gets the best beds," Janet smirked suggestively. "Yes, he's in stage two."

* * *

><p>"Wake up, princess," Stefan said, stroking Elena's side softly from behind. When she didn't move, Stefan brought a warm washcloth with vinegar and put it on her head, trying to make her gain consciousness.<p>

Elena finally stirred and Stefan smiled down at her. "You lost consciousness…again. Is there something you are not telling me?"

"How could you say that?" Elena asked weakly. "You are the one that repeatedly take my blood…How can _I _be hiding something?"

"I don't know," Stefan said, "Who knows?"

However, before he could continue, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Stefan shouted, annoyed.

"Mr. Salvatore, this is Duncan," The voice yelled. "You need to open this door."

Without hesitation, Stefan opened the door, staring daggers at Duncan. He was never good in doing what he was commanded to do. "How can I help you?"

"Is the girl here?"

Elena gasped and shivered as Duncan's eyes scanned around the room, the same Duncan that had put her in this position.

"There she is," he smirked. "I want the girl for a few moments…and that's an order."

Stefan was about to protest but he thought better of it. Duncan would kill him, he was the owner of this place.

"Fine."

Duncan advanced on Elena, pulling her off the bed. He then threw a look at Stefan and shut the door behind him, hauling Elena behind him by her arm.

"What is going on?" Elena begged. "Why are you here?"

"I am here, sweetheart, because of your repetitive meetings with my deputy," Duncan smirked. "I know about the experience, Elena. And I don't know, and don't care, about how you did it, but I need you out of our lives for good."

Elena didn't have time to speak before she was instantly dragged in the room she was first auctioned for. The number of people was clearly greater than the last time, but that was not what Elena was looking at. In the corner, a girl about thirteen years old was kneeling on the floor. She was screaming and crying, but nobody was helping her. Then, next to the girl's bare feet, Elena could see a pool of blood and a person lying in there.

Elena was purely American, but she didn't have to be a genius to understand what the girl was saying when she was screaming. "Madre" seemed to cover everything up. The lifeless body of the woman was the poor girl's mother, thrown roughly at the girl's feet, and the girl, helpless was begging for mercy. But no one was helping, because no one cared. Then, the girl sped off to one of the men standing in front of her and charged at him, kicking him, punching him…He was clearly the vampire that murdered her mother. But instead of him feeling pain, the vampire grabbed the girl's wrist and was ready to drain her dry until something in Elena burned up.

Without even knowing how, Elena managed to get out of Duncan's unbreakable grasp. Her voice turned to something magical and dark, and the only words that came out went out like a roar. "NO MORE." She demanded, "NO MORE."

And then, something which caught everyone's eye happened. The vampire let go of the girl's throat and his hands went to his neck, trying to keep himself from suffocating. Elena simply advanced on him, her eyes locked on his, as he started to violently bleed.

And then…it stopped. The vampire was dead, and Elena was left almost paralyzed, standing where she was, everyone in the room studying her. Duncan sped to her.

"She killed him!" He accused. "This girl disobeys her master and murders vampires…"

"She's a witch."

"She's a murderer!"

"She's a demon…"

People were enclosing on Elena now, some looking at her in disgust, others with hope in their eyes. Among the crowd, a similar voice came to Elena and she felt arms wrap instantly around her.

"Can't you see that she just saved a life?" Damon growled as he held Elena, who was now shaking violently. She noticed something wet running down her stomach and when she lifted the shirt, she saw fresh blood.

"Get everyone out of here," Duncan barked at the guards. "This isn't acceptable. None of it."

…

"What are you?" Duncan barked at Elena.

She was silent. She couldn't think anymore, yet alone speak.

"Elena, if you are not going to speak, I have methods of making you do so."

"I already told you, I don't know what happened!" Elena begged, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "I don't know!"

"How unfortunate."

Duncan turned at the few vampires that were left, watching the whole interaction. "I shall write Elena's sentence," he added. "The True Punishment."

"She didn't do anything wrong!" Damon groaned, moving at Duncan so that the latter stumbled backwards on the floor. Damon held him in a choke-hold, and his hand were already ready to pull his heart out when the guards kept Damon back. Duncan shot up, more furious than ever.

"The True Punishment," He repeated. "You know what that is, don't you, Damon? And guess what, you'll be giving it to her."

"You'll be dead before-"

"Very well then," Duncan smirked as he advanced towards Elena.

"No, please don't!" Elena begged as Duncan got a knife out of his back pockets and made a deep and long cut in her wrist. Elena screamed out in pain.

"I can keep doing this and let her bleed to death," Duncan said. "Or you can just do what you are told, and give her the True Punishment."

Damon hesitated once more, until he heard Elena scream again.

"I'll do it! Just stop hurting her!"

"Much better," Duncan said, force-feeding Elena his blood to heal. "Go on, go make your preparations then…"

* * *

><p>Damon stormed to the rooms with Elena in his arms. He kicked the door as he entered furiously in the room, his angel like voice turning to that of a demon soon.<p>

"What are they going to do to me?" Elena asked in her angel-like voice, her eyes looking down.

"Not _they, _Elena! _I! _I have to do that to you!" His fist went to the mirror and Elena flinched at the sound.

"Damon..." She reached out for him, trying to turn him around to face her. He pushed her away.

"Go and sit there and let me think!" He said in a harsh voice. Elena was taken aback.

He regretted it the moment he saw the look in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." He reached out for her, "I just can't believe I'm the one who'll do that to you…"

"Damon," She said sternly as they embraced tightly, "What _is _the true punishment?"

There was no way to sugar coat it. Damon held her tighter and he finally managed to get out the words. "Twelve lashes, Elena."

Damon felt Elena's body turn into jelly in his hold.

"No…no…"

"Elena, I promise you, you will not feel a single blow," He said, cupping her face. "You do trust me, right?"

"H-How…It isn't p-possible…."

"Shh, shh…It's gonna be okay. I promise…you will not feel anything."

She relaxed in his hold, but her heart beat gave her away. She had turned pale, and Damon stroked her hair and her back soothingly, as comforting as possible. "Shh…"

* * *

><p>It was less than an hour later that Elena had to strip off and change into an almost completely backless dress. The second she was ready, she was taken in front of every vampire and there was a lot of noise and comments running around. She was being described as a witch, as a demon, as a murderer…<p>

No one was listening to the humans' praises, the praises they were giving Elena. They did not care what she was, she had saved a girl's life.

Duncan made an entire speech until he turned to Elena, who had been forced to kneel down in front of them.

"Do you have anything to add?"

Elena narrowed her eyes. "God will pay you for this, Duncan."

He smirked. "There is no such thing in my world, sweetheart. And you address me as Your Excellence."

Elena just stared down and let them drag her in front of Damon. She kept her eyes locked on the floor at all times, not wanting to make this even worse. She tried to calm him down via their connection, their minds, and she told him that he had no choice and that it will be okay. Her eyes remained closed.

And then, suddenly, she felt movement. Numbness. Coldness. Something wet running down her back. But surprisingly, no pain at all.

"Make her count them," Duncan ordered cruelly, and Elena started to count each stroke without arguments, before Damon would pick up a fight.

* * *

><p>There was a white garden. Elena was seeing a white garden, and there were roses. Is this Heaven, she thought, but whatever it was this place was happy. She was looking at herself now, and the other her was wearing a wedding dress. Next to her was Damon in a black tuxedo that was perfect on him, and Elena was holding something in her hands.<p>

A blanket.

And in the blanket, Elena had a baby girl. A baby girl that had Damon's angel-like eyes and soft, wavy brown hair like Elena's. Damon was kissing his wife now, and the baby between them stirred, reaching out to cup Damon's chin. In return, Damon grabbed his daughter and snuggled her, his one arm still on his wife's back.

"Mom? Dad?" Elena was saying now. Yes, her parents were very much behind the other self, and they were kissing her head. "It's going to be okay, Elena."

* * *

><p>And then suddenly, it stopped. Elena heard herself say "twelve", and everyone was turning around to leave. Duncan had a disappointed look on his face.<p>

"Hand me a cloak," Damon demanded to one of the vampires, and he lifted the very weak Elena up. She couldn't walk. The numbness in her was taking over.

But before anyone could make another move, a lot of screaming and noise from outside followed. And in that chaos and blankness, Damon could hear one of the vampires roar, "The humans…war…"

And then it happened. Damon was running with Elena lying limply in his arms, as an army of humans entered in the quarters. He didn't really make a good impression to the humans that were throwing vervain at every suspect and then staking them…he was carrying a bleeding body. Like a typical vampire.

His head was spinning and he didn't know what the hell he was going to do. The girl in his arms was now bleeding violently, so violently that her blood was staining his clothes. And then, in that chaos, a female called his name.

"Damon…here! Here, you can escape from here! Take care of the girl!"

He didn't have the time to acknowledge who she is, but he had no choice other to believe her. It was some sort of a vortex, and without thinking twice he grabbed the girl in his arms and held her tightly to him as they both held their breath.

He could hear the woman's voice chanting and he instantly knew that she was a witch.

Why the hell did she help him?

And then suddenly Damon was shocked as water hit both his and Elena's faces.

* * *

><p>I think by far this was my favourite chapter ;)<p>

Please, please…Leave reviews! I adore them! And tomorrow's school after the holidays so please, cheer me up!

The plant *=Sambucus is a plant that is said to be used in the older days as a protection against the supernatural, mostly things connected with ghosts and witches. In some legends, it is also toxic to vampires. The Sambucus is also known as simply "Elder".


	14. the power of love

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

_Previously: And then suddenly Damon was shocked as water hit both his and Elena's faces._

* * *

><p>Damon panicked. Elena was unconscious in his arms, colder than ice. His own pain in his back was like a dagger pressed into his skin.<p>

Elena's blood was also on him, staining his jacket, her faint pulse mocking him from the slender column of her throat. And in all this mess, Damon was struggling to get Elena to safety.

He didn't know where they were, but there was water. Salty water.

Using his strength to carry the girl up to somewhere, anywhere…a shore, a piece of land, he didn't care. He wanted her safe.

One final struggle and he found himself on some kind of solid surface. There was a beach, and Damon suddenly recalled that he knew that place.

He owned a small house once there, and it was actually in Miami. What he didn't understand, however, was how the hell they ended up in the _water. _

"Come on, Elena," He said, his voice heightening with worry. He put the girl on the shore as he laid back, panting and struggling for breath. Sure, he was a vampire, but he wasn't really feeling strong.

"Elena, open your eyes," He urged, pushing at the girl's chest, hoping to get the water out. She was freezing, and he immediately took off her cloak, not wanting to risk her freezing to death. The fabric of her thin dress had dug into her skin and her back was filled with blood, but the marks were fading.

In a few minutes, Damon carried Elena and they were in the beach house he had. It was still in a perfect condition though it had been a while since he visited Miami.

Elena finally opened her eyes.

"Thank God," Damon said as he touched her cheek softly.

"W-where are we?" Elena asked half consciously, her body shaking violently with the cold.

"It's a long story," Damon cut her off. "Look, I'll run you a warm bath, okay? We have to get all the blood washed off and get you out of those clothes."

"Mm'kay," Elena mumbled as her eyes seemed to settle, and her vision cleared.

Damon refused to let her move so he picked her up and sat her on the counter in the bathroom.

"I'll go get you some clothes," He said after filling the tub with warm, soapy water. Thank goodness he always kept necessaries in the house…

Elena nodded her head and waited patiently as Damon brought her a thick sweater and a pair of jeans. They were going to be too big for her, but he didn't have anything else to give her. It was a while since he last had a woman in there, since he settled in the Boarding house.

"Thank you."

Damon turned and grabbed her from her waist, helping her down. She wasn't even able to stand on her legs, and his arms shot out to catch her before she even fell.

"Woah, easy," He put a stray piece of hair behind her ears. "Look…Elena, if you need any help…just ask," He continued awkwardly as the girl struggled to take her shoes off.

It wasn't like they didn't share nights before…

"I'm okay," She said, her face reddening.

"Okay then," Damon gave her a small smile and waited patiently outside. He lifted his t-shirt up, revealing some painful and bleeding wounds in his back. However, before he could examine them, he heard a loud noise coming from the bathroom.

"Elena, are you okay?"

When she didn't reply, Damon slowly opened the door. Elena was on the floor, her dress half unzipped.

She looked down in embarrassment and he gently took her hands, helping her up. One small gaze and he slowly finished unzipping the dress, leaving her in her undergarments as he helped her get into the bath tub.

Elena arched her head back, letting the water caress her skin, especially when there were open wounds. The warm water seemed to soothe them, and Damon's gentle touch with his fingertips was actually healing her. He gently rubbed the sore skin and massaged the roots of her hair and she was enjoying it until she caught a glimpse of Damon's back.

"Damon, what happened to you?" Elena asked in horror. On Damon's back, twelve signs of lashes were there, and they were becoming very red.

"It's nothing," Damon said, aware of the pain and the loss of strength.

"Damon, that's not nothing! What is going on?"

"I channeled the pain away," Damon said slowly after a while. "I wasn't going to let you suffer from twelve beatings like that. Being connected with someone can give you the ability to channel away any pain. However, it turns out the lashes were somehow connected with vervain…"

"Oh my God," Elena gasped as she hid her face in her hands, "You did this for me? And you carried me and taking care of me? God, Damon I…"

"Shh, I'll heal, princess," Damon said, but in his eyes, pain was seen. He kissed her temple. "You lost a lot of blood. That's why you are weak."

Damon continued to run the washcloth down her body, and then he trailed a finger along her arm, gently wiping the remaining blood away. It was then when his eyes turned dark when he felt a harsh piece of skin. He lifted her hand to saw a purple bruise, which was once a vampire bite mark. He bit back a growl as he carefully swept her hair aside, revealing more marks.

"How much did my brother take from you, Elena?" His voice showed that he was almost begging for sincerity.

"Damon, I'm fine now…"

"Elena."

"He took a lot," Elena finally admitted. "He hurt me. And he liked doing it."

His hands turned into fists and Elena feared he was going to do something he'll regret. "Don't worry, Damon…All I care about is that I'm safe now, with you. No one will hurt me now."

"I can damn guarantee you that," Damon vowed. "I'll be dead before someone even thinks about laying a finger on you."

Carefully, Damon helped her up and dried her with a towel before he lead her to his main bedroom. The sheets were silk, and Elena really did need a good night's sleep.

Damon flinched at the pain in his back, and Elena couldn't take it anymore.

"Take my blood," She urged.

"What? I just promised you that I will not let anyone hurt you-"

"You don't have to hurt me, remember?"

"Elena, I'm not in control right now. I can't guarantee your safety if I taste your blood when I'm under the effect of vervain."

"I can," Elena objected, and without warning she sliced her hand with a knife, hissing in pain.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked in horror.

"I'm not going to leave you in pain," Elena said, almost forcing her blood to his mouth. He almost refused it, but then he slowly started to suck on the blood, careful not to hurt her.

The blood seemed to work instantly, and he reached out for her, kissing her passionately on her lips.

"God I missed you," He breathed in her hair as he moved his lips to her neck. Elena shivered in pleasure as he brought his lips down her collar bone.

"I missed you too," She managed to breathe out, grabbing his face and pulling it to her.

Damon's hand stroked her side as he let her catch her breath. He stared at her, mesmerized. "You. Are. So. Beautiful."

Elena blushed but didn't have time to say anything because his lips were on hers once more.

One look and she nodded, this was what she wanted. She wanted him, and he wanted her.

Damon took his time into taking his t-shirt off, and then slowly worked on Elena's.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Elena woke up smiling. Damon's hand was wrapped around her securely and his chin was resting on her shoulder.<p>

She slowly turned to face him and drank in his features. He was adorable when he slept, and even though his blue eyes weren't visible he still had the most amazing eyes.

"You're staring," Damon said with a smirk.

"I'm gazing."

"It's creepy."

Elena smiled. "It's romantic."

Damon playfully tossed a pillow at her and before she could react he had her pinned underneath him. His fingers attacked her stomach and in a brief second Elena was laughing so hard she was almost breathless.

"I know exactly where I have to touch to make you squirm," he added in her ear as he kissed her neck once more.

"Hmmm…yeah you do."

Damon chuckled and let his fingers tickle her waist, and when she calmed down he kissed her again.

"What are we going to do about Elijah and Klaus, Damon?" She asked, worry written in her face. "And the war…they attacked the Dark Dimension, Damon. My own race. They will come for you, you know…"

Damon drew lazy circles on her hipbone. "Elena, I will protect you from Elijah and Klaus, even if it means killing them. And as for the war outside, I'm sure we can figure out a truce…"

"You don't understand," Elena said, "My brother's probably crazy right now. He'll think you hypnotized me or something. He'll hurt you. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, either," Damon replied. "Because if I do, I will take my ring off until I turn to ashes."

"Shh, don't say that."

"The witch that helped us escape earlier…she sensed our love, you know," Damon stroked her cheek. "That's why she helped us."

"How did we end up in the water, though?"

"I'm thinking it's because the Dark Dimension actually started as a…I don't know, in the present, humans call it a cave. At that time, it was something different. But the history of the dark dimension is a long one, Elena. It's a magical place."

Elena shivered.

"A place which you will never go to," He promised. "Never."

"El?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

"What did you do at the Dark Dimension? You killed that vampire there..."

"I honestly don't know," Elena sighed, "I wish I did. When I saw him hurting that girl like that...I just don't know what happened."

"I think you are more special than you think," Damon said with a serious tone. "I saw the fire in you the second you came to my house."

"Do you think I might've inherit some...I don't know...powers?"

"I don't know," Damon answered honestly. "We'll have to find out, though."

"I don't think I'm ready for that..."

"Shh. You don't have to worry. We'll deal with everything, okay? Trust me."

"I do."

* * *

><p><em><strong>I know, a Filler chapter because I was very busy! Seriously, I have my own teenage dramas, exams on my mind (one of them being an ECDL-kinda GCSE in Computer) and I haven't really had the time to write.<strong>_

_**So please, leave a review :)**_


	15. Deals and Secrets

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. This is purely fiction and I am not making any profits.**

Sorry for the long update again. My grandma was in the hospital, I had to study for two ECDL (which thankfully, I passed from both) and I have another two stories going on. I had sworn that I would keep only one story at a time but God I just can't.

Thank you for your reviews. As for anonymous reviews, I just want you to know that I really appreciate them, and thank you "Cassie" and "M" since you reviewed lots of my stories. As I always say, your reviews are what keeps me going because even though writing fanfiction is both an escape from daily drama and my favourite hobby, it also takes time and dedication so I love that there are so many of you that like what I do.

Haha looong Author's Note, on with the chapter!

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Jeremy we searched every inch of this place," Alaric was standing idly by Jeremy who was pacing around the Dark Dimension, a look of sadness and pain on his face.<p>

"No. She's alive, do you understand me? She's alive!" He shook Alaric by his shoulders. "You have to help me find Elena, please…"

Alaric's heart ached at the sight of the young teenager. After a good amount of torture, they managed to find out that Elena really was in the dark dimension and the last they saw her she had been punished. This only made Jeremy feel worse because when they searched every inch and there was no sign of Elena they came to the horrifying conclusion that she died.

"Jeremy, calm down," Alaric managed to choke out. "You have to keep calm. Look, maybe she escaped, or maybe you are right…maybe we missed a room." He only said that because of Jeremy, because he knew perfectly well that they had searched the entire place.

Jeremy seemed to calm down a little, and after a little nod the two men took a deep breath.

* * *

><p>"So, for how long are we going to stay here?" Elena said as she brushed her silky, long hair.<p>

Damon came from behind her, taking the brush from her and continuing the job, enjoying the smooth touch of the perfumed hair. "Right now it is safe for us here. We don't really know who died or not in the Dark Dimension. And we don't know if Klaus will try to track you yet."

"I wish I could just tell my brother I'm alright," Elena said as she struggled to keep her face normal and hide the sadness. "He's probably in the Dark Dimension now…thinking I'm dead."

Damon stopped brushing her hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "How much do you trust your brother?"

"That's a funny question," Elena said honestly, "Because when I...when they brought me to you, I left him as a drug addict. However I knew that my brother is a fighter, and I believe in him."

Damon sighed and slowly walked away from her, and then he grabbed his I-Phone and handed it to her.

"Tell him to come here," Damon explained as Elena stared at him like he was a maniac.

"Why?"

"If your brother claims to be a hunter…Maybe he can tell us something about Klaus."

"Are _you _willing to trust him?" Elena looked at Damon, trying to read his face. She knew that Damon wasn't stupid. If Jeremy betrayed them, Damon would die.

On the other hand Damon was looking at her with sincerity and love in his eyes. His voice came in a whisper as he rubbed her cheek softly. "Elena, I will do anything to protect you."

They kept their eye contact for a moment or two until Elena pecked him softly and dialed her brother's number.

* * *

><p>"One simple task!" Klaus yelled at the Salvatore in front of him. "I told you to keep her away from your brother. And you failed."<p>

"Klaus, we weren't prepared for the attack on the Dark Dimension! I don't even know how my brother and the girl escaped. You made sure of that many years ago when you destroyed the key of letting humans out of the dark dimension."

Klaus took a deep breath. That was true. Many years ago the key to let humans out of the dark dimension was destroyed, leaving it almost impossible to get out of there. The thing about that place was that once you are in, unless you know a way out or you're a vampire, you can't get out."

"The humans brought witches with them," He said with a growl. "Otherwise they couldn't have freed those human slaves. But Elena…she left before the others, didn't she?"

"Damon and Elena weren't there when we lost a big percentage of our kind, Klaus," Stefan confirmed. "They must've found a way out _before._"

Klaus's hands turned into fists and he stared daggers at Stefan. "You do realize that if you don't bring her back to me, our little truce is over."

"I did everything you asked, Klaus!"

"Well, the girl isn't here," Klaus said as he dramatically looked around him. "I didn't get what I want. So, either you find her and bring her to me, or I'll kill your beloved Katherine Pierce right now."

"You told me that you will free her…"

"No," Klaus corrected, "I told you that Katherine Pierce is my prisoner until I get my precious doppelganger back. The second I get Elena, Katherine is yours. And I do suggest that you hurry up in finding Elena, because the more time you spend the more pain your lover receives. After all, I had promised her that her torture and death will last longer than the years I searched for her if you didn't succeed."

"Don't hurt her," Stefan begged. "Please. I'll bring you the girl…"

"Good," Klaus said with a smile. "I'm glad we agreed. Now that Elijah's out of the way, all I need is you to help me."

With that, he sent Stefan off and with his smirk still in place, Klaus made his way to the tomb he was holding Katherine in. He had used her to torment Stefan when he learnt of the existence of the doppelganger, and she had been his prisoner for a year now. But, using her as a bargaining chip wasn't really a bad idea because Stefan immediately complied.

Katherine looked at him with pain in her eyes since he kept her alive, however he didn't give her much blood. He liked to torture her with vervain and what hurt Katherine was that usually she was the one who was one step ahead, and she was the one that called the shots. However, for the past year, Katherine had been tortured, played with, tossed around and treated like rubbish by a man she once felt feelings for in the 1400s when she was just an innocent human girl that was raped in the village and got pregnant with a baby daughter, the daughter she loved even though they had took her away. The daughter she dreamt to know and love.

When Klaus had found her in Mystic Falls a year before, when she came for Stefan, she didn't know what hit her. Klaus had finally got her and she knew that it wasn't going to be a pleasurable first meeting. However she hardly thought that he would use Stefan's love for her to get his hands on the doppelganger that Katherine had only seen once, when she was younger.

"Drink up," Klaus whispered giving her a very small amount of blood and putting it to her lips. "Stefan would really give everything up to get you back again, does he?"

When Katherine finished drinking, Klaus patted her head. "Good girl."

He trailed his finger down her arm, keeping eye contact with her. "You screwed too much relationships making guys fall for you, Katerina. You were always the one that commanded. It sucks being the weak one, doesn't it?"

He moved to brush his lips against hers. "Don't worry, my sweet Katerina. The fun is just beginning."

* * *

><p>"It is very important that you come alone," Elena insisted for the tenth time as she turned to look at Damon. "It is very important, Jeremy. Please."<p>

Her brother had broken her heart. The minute he answered her he let out a loud cry, at first thinking that it was just a sweet dream that he would wake up from and then thinking he was somehow compelled.

Somehow Damon had uneasy feelings about this, however it was worth the risk.

"You okay?" He asked as Elena handed him the I-phone.

"I honestly don't know," Elena said, wiping a small tear away. "I haven't seen my brother in so long. I never thought I could meet him again."

She sighed. "I can't believe how much has changed since I last saw him."

Damon shrugged. He knew perfectly well that it was a little less than a year before that they had brought Elena to him, that he was so drawn to her because of what she looked like. His brows furrowed as he remembered that at first he was the one that hurt her and intimidated her so much, but it turned out that all of that was just the road that lead them to where they were now. Sure, they had their ups and downs and now with everything going on with Klaus, Damon was more scared that something would happen to her. But at least, she was his and he was hers-no one could separate them now.

He was brought back to reality as he saw Elena suddenly grab a chair to stand with for support, and before she could even blink Damon was next to her.

"What's going on, Elena? Are you sick?"

"Nothing Damon, I'm fine," Elena said trying to assure him, however she was everything except fine. She was feeling incredible pain in her head and she felt like it was about to explode.

"No, you are not fine," Damon replied in a worried tone of voice, and his hand shot out to feel her forehead. "Oh my God, Elena, you are burning up…"

Before she even knew Damon had carried her to the main bedroom again, laying her down on their canopy bed.

"I think it's because of yesterday…" She tried to assure herself. "I got sick…"

"No, this isn't a fever," Damon said as he continued to touch her body feeling the temperature change. "A fever isn't like this, trust me, do you…"

However he was interrupted by a shriek of pain from Elena.

"Oh my God! Make it stop, please help me Damon!" She was twisting in agony now, her hands holding her head tightly as she screamed in pain.

"What's going on Elena? What are you feeling?" Damon struggled to keep calm as he shook the girl who was drifting away.

"H-Head, h-hurts!" She yelled. "Fire. There's fire, Damon. Blood…"

Before Damon could react, Elena screamed out again, and Damon fell to the floor, choking like the vampire that Elena killed in the Dark Dimension.

"E-Elena," was all that he managed to say as Elena's attention focused on Damon, like she was hypnotized.

And then suddenly, everything stopped. Damon sucked in air and Elena's face stared blankly at the wall, completely in a trance.

And then her little voice spoke.

"Powers," Elena managed to say. "Damon, I have powers."

* * *

><p><em>A\N The choking Damon part was mostly inspired by Secret Circle Cassie choking Adam ;P It is creepy yet nice lol. As for Klaus and curse, there is a lot more about that and it will not follow the show exactly since this is NOT a season 2 fic.<em>

_As usual, thank you for reading and please review._


	16. Twists and Surprises

A\N: A long week doing exams, but it's the time for an update ;)

**Also, I published a story called Safe in your arms, it is about four chapters long till now! If you want to check it out, I am more than happy to know what you think!**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Rights to CW, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, and LJ Smith.

* * *

><p>"Powers? What do you mean powers?" Damon said after he processed what she said. The poor girl looked scared, and Damon bit his lip and tried to calm himself for her sake.<p>

She didn't speak to him, and as he caught a glimpse of her face he found that she was blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Elena, talk to me."

"I am nothing but trouble and shame," She replied hoarsely. "I should've died in the Dark Dimension, maybe all this crap would've ended."

"Elena, you did _not _just say that," Damon growled, his eyes narrowed. "You know you mean everything to me."

She took a deep breath. "I just felt it inside of me, Damon. Like…force and power, I felt it almost controlling me and taking over my body. I felt it that day I killed that vampire in the Dark Dimension, too. And now I've been hearing all those voices inside of my head begging me to help them."

"What voices? How come you didn't tell me about it?"

"I was traumatized, Damon. I thought it was just a hallucination. But now, I hear them talking to me, and they are telling me that I must be the one to bring balance to the world again. They want me to kill Klaus."

Before he could speak, though, Elena continued. "And then they keep repeating that something good is going to happen, Damon. Something between us, something which not everyone can have. According to them, this will bring us closer to each other more than ever…"

"What are you talking about, Elena? What will bring us closer?"

"I don't know, Damon. I really don't know," She said, holding back a sob. "But they are warning me that it is not going to be easy to stay with you. Lots of people will try to break us apart."

"I'm not going to let them," He vowed.

"I know," Elena replied softly. "They know it, too. They say I'm special, that I can bring death to him. But they are not telling me how."

"Elena, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Damon assured her when he saw the look on her face, the fear. "We'll find a way to kill Klaus, and you don't have to be involved. In fact, I am not going to let you be involved."

* * *

><p>Hours passed and Elena fell asleep again. Damon took a sip of his bourbon to calm down his nerves, knowing that Jeremy would appear soon.<p>

And in fact, he did, because less than five minutes after Elena woke up, there was a light knock on the door. Elena breathed deeply as she slowly opened the door, revealing her brother who couldn't believe that this was not a trap.

"Elena?" He gasped in surprise. "Is that really you?"

"Jeremy!" Elena screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as Jeremy rushed to her and embraced her in a tight embrace, his hands stroking her back as he placed kisses on every inch of her face.

"Oh my God, I can't believe that I can actually see you again," Jeremy pulled away to cradle her face, looking into her brown eyes. "I love you, you know that, don't you? I love you so much, Elena, I promise revenge on everyone who touched you I…"

"Shh, shh," Elena calmed down her brother and kissed him again. "I'm safe now, Jeremy…I have a lot to tell you. But first…I want you to meet someone."

"Who?" Jeremy paused, confused. "Wait, what exactly is this place?"

"Hello, Jeremy," A voice behind them said, but when Jeremy turned to face him, his reaction was anything but normal.

"Damon? Damon Salvatore?" Jeremy said in a voice similar to that of a growl, "What are you doing? What have you been doing to my sister? Elena, do you know what he is?"

"Calm down, Jeremy! I know everything, calm down!" Elena immediately took the stake her brother was holding and pointing at Damon.

"Do you know each other?" Elena asked as his words processed.

"You don't have any idea who he is, don't you?" Jeremy spat through clenched teeth. "He is the person that killed and turned Alaric's wife! Your birth mother, Elena! Isobel Flemming!"

* * *

><p>"Where the hell is Jeremy?" Alaric asked several men that were helping stitching a woman's wound.<p>

"Last I saw him, he was heading out, don't ask me where," One of them replied.

"Alaric, we lost too many people," Bonnie reached out and grabbed his hand gently. "I know we all want revenge. But it can't happen. There were so many deaths in the dark Dimension, Rick. Lots of innocent humans like us. I saw what the vampires were doing to their slaves… They started ripping their hearts out before we could even get to them."

"Elena is missing," Rick replied. "That is why the search is still on. But we can't win, Bonnie…you are right. But I can't stand by and watch other innocent people get hurt."

* * *

><p>"Is what he's saying true?" Elena had sat down on a chair, fearing that her legs would give out.<p>

"I didn't know, Elena," Damon begged her, sincerity in his eyes. "I was a different person back then. Isobel begged me to turn her into a vampire. I didn't kill her."

"How could you do that?" Elena said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't deal with this right now…I can't believe it, it's too much…"

Damon reached out to grab her arm, but she flinched before he even touched her. He jerked back immediately, looking profoundly hurt.

"Did you actually think that I would hurt you?" He said his voice cracked.

"I don't want to deal with this," Elena simply avoided the question as she climbed the stairs two at a time.

"Elena, please…" He continued to beg again, but he knew she needed time. Hell, maybe lots of time.

Jeremy looked at the two persons with confusion. He was there for a few minutes and even though there was a lot of confusion, he could already tell that Elena was definitely not a meal to Damon. He felt guilty for throwing it like that at his sister.

Damon buried his face in his arms.

"I didn't know," He said when Jeremy turned to leave the room. "I was a different person back then. Your sister made me the man I am today, Jeremy. I know how you feel about me, but I will never hurt your sister. Never."

"You are vampires," Jeremy said through clenched teeth. "You exist to hurt and kill. I've seen a lot of crap in these days, Damon. I know what I'm talking about. I bet my sister was your slave in the dark dimension, right? Would you care to explain what you did to her there?"

"She wasn't," Damon said quietly.

"He saved me from there," A broken voice said from upstairs, indicating that she had heard the last sentence.

"That's why we needed your help, Jeremy," Damon spoke slowly. "I asked Elena to call you. I know you can help us…your sister."

"I'm listening," Jeremy said coldly after he returned to the table.

Damon told him everything, starting from when Elena first was brought to him as his human, earning himself a disgusting look from Jeremy. He then told him how their relationship developed and all about the Dark Dimension, ending with their latest discovery about Elena's powers and the deal with Elijah.

"Of course," Jeremy remembered, "I know about Klaus…"

"He's after Elena, Jer," Damon explained. "Her blood is what he needs. He wants to kill her, and we can't let that happen. We need a weapon, anything that can kill him. I know that you know methods to get information since you are working with Alaric Saltzman and Bonnie."

"How do you know Bonnie?"

"I am not a vampire for nothing," Damon said carefully. "I know the Bennett witches. I always have. As for Alaric Saltzman, a vampire must know the hunters."

Jeremy sighed. "Alaric was heartbroken when his dead not so dead wife returned six months ago. It was a short meeting though…because I saw Isobel compelling Alaric to forget that she has ever visited. However, she did give him books-her research. She was great in finding out things. We found about the Dark Dimension from there and Bonnie's grimoire. There might be more information about Klaus."

Jeremy paused. "Before I help you, you must promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"That you don't trust anyone with Elena's safety. I'm not stupid, sometimes I feel like half the people there are working against us with your kind. Who knows what they'll do to her?"

"That is a promise I intend to keep, Jeremy."

"Good. I shall return back to Mystic Falls and I will contact you the second I know something. I can't stay here…It is not safe."

* * *

><p>"Elena, talk to me please," Damon said later on as he slipped in bed next to her. She refused to acknowledge his presence.<p>

He gently tried to turn her around, but she refused to move and he didn't want to restrain or hurt her.

"Elena, please…I was a different person."

"We've been through so much together, Damon," She finally replied, her voice muffled with tears. "We've moved from I being your meal, your prisoner, your lover, your soulmate…But I never pretended that I learn something like this."

"I know, I didn't, too," Damon said, reaching out to put a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "But please, Elena…I didn't know. I was different."

Elena turned around to face him and half consciously Damon breathed a sigh of relief.

"I believe you."

She reached out to touch him. "I do. I believe you. But it is hard for me, you know…It was Elijah that told me that I was adopted when we were in the Dark Dimension. I never really had the time to process it, to see what it means. The truth is, Damon, that I spent my entire life thinking I am blood related to someone when I was really not. And then he just came and told me that my uncle was my father, so my supposed to be parents are my aunts. And my brother is my cousin. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"I know, I know," Damon said in a soothing voice, pulling her fragile little body closer to his, warming her up in an embrace. "I'm so sorry, Elena. For all of this. I've put you through so much."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Damon silenced her with a finger on her lips. "That is why I decided, Elena…I can't just keep you here. This is my call. I shall be the one who kills Klaus, not you. You are too innocent to play a part in all of this, Elena."

"What are you saying, Damon?"

"I'm saying that I can't let you be with me. We can't be together, Elena. I'm saying that I'm setting you free."

"You are talking like I am treated like some kind of prisoner with you!" Elena snapped, anger in her eyes. "You can't decide for me, Damon. I want to be part in this, with you."

"I don't want you hurt."

"Well, I don't want you hurt, either. And you can't decide for me."

"You will die, Elena. Klaus will find you and you will die. This is my call. Jeremy offered me his help, and I shall be the one to kill him."

"Damon…"

"Elena, just listen. Do you think that my brother won't come for you again? I don't trust Stefan. Jeremy made me realize that we don't really know how many people know about Klaus and how many are working with him. If it comes down between you and Stefan, I'll choose you. And I know that since your heart is pure, you won't let me kill my own brother."

"Damon, you can't leave me," Elena cried, "I know that by doing it you think that you'll protect me but it isn't right."

"Don't cry," Damon said, kissing the top of her head as she curled up to him. "Just…let me hold you, okay?"

Elena sobbed in his chest. "I am not letting you go."

* * *

><p>"<em>Who are you? Where am I?"<em>

_Elena was in some place dark. There was fire and blood everywhere. A cruel, male voice was surrounding her._

"_I am your worst nightmare, Elena Gilbert," He said, and Elena felt the coldness and harshness._

_"Klaus?"_

_An evil laugh._

"_Please, I know about your werewolf curse," She begged. "Don't kill me…"_

"_Werewolf curse?" Klaus let out an evil laugh. "My dear, you are clearly mistaken. I do not need your blood for that. I got that one covered on my own, sweetheart. Witches can be helpful nowadays."_

"_What I want from you, my dear, is so much darker than that…" He added._

_And it was then that Elena felt pain in her stomach, and as she looked down she saw a dagger pressed against her belly, blood pooling down her body. _

_Pain._

_A loud cry._

* * *

><p>"Elena! Elena, wake up!" Damon was roughly shaking her now as she refused to breathe or respond in any way.<p>

"Elena!" Damon yelled one more time, and Elena's eyes shot open. However she did not acknowledge Damon in any way and she ran straight to the bathroom, opening the toilet seat and started vomiting.

"What's going on?" Damon said, pushing her hair back. "Are you okay?"

She couldn't talk. She was too sick to talk.

"I'll go get you some aspirin," Damon said as he went downstairs immediately.

When he returned, though, he was almost shocked as he saw Elena holding her stomach tightly. A few drops of blood were running down her belly.

"Damon…" She said painfully.

"What's going on, Elena? What happened?"

"The dream…Damon, the dream."

She started vomiting again. "I'm late, Damon. And the dream…"

Damon stood frozen, aspirin in his hand.

"Damon, I think I'm p-pregnant."

* * *

><p><em>Dun dun dun :P Tell me what you think! Don't worry, it's not gonna be any Breaking dawn\twilight stuff involved! I had this planned before I wrote the prologue…I think ;) I'm dying to know what you think!<em>

_Till next time!_

_xoxo_


	17. Kill or be Killed

Wow I'm glad that you liked that little twist. I had that planned before I even started writing the story. I usually have a plan about how the story will turn up.

Also, please bear with me if screw up when giving some details about pregnancy, I'm definitely not an expert in that.

If Damon had a heartbeat, it would've stopped the second Elena said the word. Fortunately for them, Damon's heart had been frozen for over a hundred years. When he spoke, though, it was a different question than what Elena expected.

"What did they do to you?" His voice came out like a growl and Elena flinched back, clearly not expecting that.

"What do you m-mean?"

Was he thinking that someone took advantage of her when she was in the Dark Dimension?

"Who…" But before he could speak, he noticed the frightened look on the girl's face. He wrapped her up in his arms, giving her comfort as much as possible. "I'm not going to leave you, Elena, I will help you…Why didn't you tell me that someone took advantage of you?"

"Damon, you don't understand," Elena choked out, interrupting him. "I haven't been with anyone except you."

Damon let go of her. "It can't be…"

"Damon…"

"Elena, I'm a vampire, vampires can't procreate!"

"Damon, you are the only one I have been with. I would've known if someone took advantage of me," Tears were streaming down her face now. She was scared. She couldn't have a baby, she wasn't even eighteen. And how could she have a baby when she didn't even know her fate yet? And its father was supposedly not able to be a father?

Damon buried his face in his hands, his back resting against the wall. He could hear Elena's heart beating fast and he knew that he had to assure her that he will be there for her. For her and their baby. After all, Damon had dreamt of the day that he will have a family, but he knew that that day could never come. He was wrong.

"What am I going to do now?" Elena was asking herself loudly, clearly panicking.

I? There was no I. There was 'we'.

"_You _are not going to do anything. _We _are," Damon said, standing up and walking towards her. "I'm not going to leave you."

"I can't kill my baby or give it up for adoption," Elena objected.

"We are going to have our baby, Elena," Damon assured her, taking her hands. "And we'll start a family. I don't know how this happened, but God gave me a second chance in having the child I always wanted. I am not leaving you."

Elena smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you more," He said, caressing her face softly. "I will take care of you, Elena, no matter what happens. Please believe that."

"I do," Elena replied, allowing herself to feel comforted by his arms around her, and her nose nuzzling his soft fabric. "God I'm disgusting."

He took a cloth and wiped her forehead gently with warm water. "No you're not, you are going to be a mother," He objected and kissed her forehead. "You'll feel better soon."

The moment, however, was interrupted by a light knock on the door.

"That's odd. Jeremy can't be back," Elena stated, looking confused.

"Stay here," Damon said gesturing to the bedroom. "No one can get in here without your permission, since you are living here now. Vampires can't enter without an invitation."

"Okay," Elena said a bit tensed. Damon closed his bedroom door, making his way downstairs suspiciously.

He opened the door to reveal a person very familiar.

"Hello, Damon."

Damon drank in her features, and then seemed to remember who the woman was. He had seen her somewhere before…

"I am Stephanie," The woman continued. "I am the witch that helped you and Elena escape from the dark dimension."

* * *

><p>"It's okay, Elena, she's here to help," Damon said softly when Elena's face looked full of suspicion. However, Damon still went next to his girlfriend protectively.<p>

"Hello, Elena," Stephanie said with a warm smile. "I'm glad that I finally got to meet you." She extended her hand, and Elena walked forward slowly, shaking it.

"You didn't meet her because you were almost unconscious," Damon explained, "But Stephanie is the witch that helped us escape from the Dark Dimension. I had told you about the vortex."

"Oh," Elena blushed slightly. "Thank you so much for that."

The other flashed her a warm smile again. She was a tall, thin redhead in her late twenties.

"It's my pleasure, Elena. You and your family deserve the best. Especially the baby you are carrying."

Elena and Damon stared at each other, almost thinking that they both heard wrong. Seeing their faces, Stephanie spoke again.

"Yes, Elena, I know about your baby. This is why I am here. This is why _you _are here. This moment was written the second you were born, my dear."

Damon gestured Elena to sit down and pulled out a chair for Stephanie.

"We are listening."

The witch cleared her throat. "I believe that you know that the Dark Dimension was a place where humans and vampires lived together peacefully. That was until Charlotte's death, as Elijah told you. What he told you was true, Klaus wants to break the werewolf curse on him."

"However, what Elijah doesn't know is that Klaus threatened the witches to help him break his curse without the use of the moonstone and doppelganger. He has been a werewolf for hundreds of years, however Elijah does not know this."

"Wait, if the curse is broken, then why is he so obsessed in finding and killing Elena?" Damon asked confused.

"Because of the child she's carrying."

There was dead silence in the room, and a million questions were spinning through Elena's head. However, Stephanie continued.

"As I told you, when Charlotte died the original family turned against the humans for killing their brother Klaus's girlfriend. The witches tried everything they could to free innocent people from the place, but Klaus and his brothers started to create lots of vampires, causing thirst, blood shed and massacre. The witches soon learnt of Klaus's curse and couldn't think of a way to kill him. However, in one of our sisters' grimoire there was written that the daughter born of a supernatural can kill Klaus due to the power she inherits from her mother. At first, Klaus tried to kill Katherine's daughter and Katherine. However, when he learnt that Katherine does not possess any special gifts like you, Elena, he realized that the only way to kill the child is to let Katherine's daughter carry on the bloodline. As you can see, Klaus will be truly immortal when your baby…and you…are killed."

Her words were like daggers entering Elena's heart. She wanted her to stop, to stop talking and stop scaring her. But this was the truth, and she had more to hear.

"At first we didn't know how could a baby be so special," Stephanie continued. "Then I sensed the love between you two. Elena, you are the only person in the world that is carrying a baby from a supernatural being. At first, we couldn't believe it. We had to find the father. But then, when I saw you in the Dark Dimension, I instantly knew that you two are meant to be together. We still wanted to test if Damon was the chosen one, though."

"T-test how?"

"The water that you two ended up in," Stephanie reminded them. "That is pure water. It's like holy water. It's a way to see if people are the chosen, pure-hearted ones or not. We knew that Elena's the one, but we weren't sure about you."

"Trust me, witch, if you knew me you'd say that my heart is everything except pure."

"We know, Damon," Stephanie said again. "But you are the chosen one. The child is yours. And you must protect your family now, because the second Klaus hears that you are pregnant he will kill you. He wants it done before you give birth. He wants your daughter dead before she is even born, do you understand me, Damon?"

"This is too much," Elena cried. "She's just a baby! Our baby! It isn't her fault that she's the only child procreated with a supernatural being!"

"I'm sorry, Elena," Stephanie said sincerely. "But that child needs to grow up and defeat Klaus. Otherwise, Klaus is going to kill her. It's kill or be killed, Elena…that's her destiny. I'm so sorry."

Stephanie dug in her pockets and got out a small, black bracelet. "This bracelet allows you to channel me," She explained. "You have powers you are yet to discover, Elena. You are very special. That's why your daughter can kill Klaus…because she shall inherit some of yours. With this bracelet, you can summon or channel me everytime there is the need."

"Thank you," Elena's voice came as a mere whisper.

"I shall go now, my work is done," Stephanie stood up. "People will come for you, Elena. Do not trust anyone. Especially Stefan and Duncan."

"Stefan?"

"Stefan showed that he is unmerciful. Duncan made you torture Elena…You can't know for sure who's working with who. Do not trust anyone."

"Where have you been?" Bonnie greeted Jeremy.

* * *

><p>"Nothing. I just toured places nearby to see if I can help more people," He lied, it was the best thing to do.<p>

"Alaric's working in creating a vampire device," Bonnie explained again. "I'm helping him to spell it. It is a device that will take down all the vampires in these areas. We are creating more devices for lots of countries-starting with different states in America. If it succeeds, we shall put down all vampires. The second the vampires are put down, this device marks where they are and we can free our friends and gather the bastards to kill them all."

"How long is this going to take, Bonnie?"

"We are still in the beginning, Jer. Alaric is figuring it out. I can't help him that much. We estimate about two months. The first device will effect those vampires which are in this area and the maximum distance is two thousand miles away from Mystic Falls, Jeremy…So with one device we are helping people in areas like Arizona, Tennessee, Mississippi…"

"Arizona?"

"Jeremy is something wrong? You seem uneasy," Bonnie stated. "We finally found a way to get rid of most of them…why aren't you happy?"

The truth was that Jeremy was scared. Elena and Damon were in Arizona. If the device effected Damon, it would mark and they would come for Damon, either staking him at the place or capturing him, leaving Elena alone and unprotected.

"No, I'm just so surprised and shocked," Jeremy said. "I can't believe it…if this works, we can be free of all the vampires."

Bonnie didn't look convinced, but she offered him a warm smile. "We will find Elena, Jeremy. Elena was always a fighter. She won't let anyone harm her."

Elena was vomiting again, holding her stomach tightly.

"Oh God…"

Damon rubbed her back soothingly as he helped her drink a glass of water. "Elena, you need lots of rest."

"I can't rest with all these thoughts going through my mind…"

"I know, I know baby," Damon said, his voice soft as silk. "But you have to be strong. If not for your sake, for our daughter's sake."

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to bed, covering her with warm blankets. He lay down next to her.

"Let _me _deal with Klaus, Elena. He will not lay a finger on you or our girl."

Elena's heart was going to break at his words. Damon loved their daughter already, she could see it in his eyes. He would already give everything up for her.

She rested her cheek against his chest, happily enjoying the rhythm of his breathing and for once imagining what their life would be like if Klaus left them alone. Just the thought of a little girl with Damon's eyes made her heart full of joy. The idea of starting a family with him, marrying him…

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" Damon asked with a smile, playing with her hair.

"How perfect our little angel will be," Elena replied, "And how our lives will be."

He smiled at the thought too. "It'd be perfect."

After a few minutes of silence, Elena spoke again. "What shall we call her, Damon? We know for sure that she's a girl due to the bloodline Stephanie mentioned…but we didn't think of a name."

"Hmm, you're right," Damon agreed. "I don't really know, Elena. I'm an old person you know."

She kissed him. "No, you're not. I'm thinking Cheryl. I always loved that name. I need to think about it though."

"Cheryl's a pretty name," Damon nodded his head. "I like it."

"I'm glad," Elena yawned, her eyes slipping close, snuggling closer to Damon. In response, he tightened his grip on her and placed a kiss on her cheek, and then without warning, he placed his mouth on her tummy and kissed it. "Goodnight, baby."

Elena could've sworn she felt moisture down her cheeks, but she refused to open her eyes. She felt loved and safe...She was okay.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading! :)<em>

_Ohh and BOO for another hiatus! I adore this show but seriously? Why can't they just air a couple of episodes? And as much as I hate to admit it, the chance of Delena is getting low with every episode. I mean now it's almost impossible that Elena will not hate Damon even though he did it to protect her. So, fanfiction is a bit of an escape from that :/_

_Anyway, never give up Delena fans :( _


	18. A Mother's Love

A\N Another chapter ;) By the way…Do you have any name suggestions other than Cheryl? Feel free to tell. Thanks everyone :D

**It is important to read the extra long A/N below after the chapter. It is to help you and clear out some things. Those that know my style of writing know that I leave a lot of mysteries that leave readers wonder, "Did she think this through? It doesn't make sense!" or "What the hell?" But i always have an answer in the end. It's my style of writing...I like mystery and then slowly giving answers to confusing questions.**

* * *

><p>Jeremy was faced with a new problem. He knew that two months were not that much and if he didn't act on it now Damon was going to end up either staked or thrown in some kind of a cell and only God knows what would happen. He was also afraid that Elena would not cope on her own and it would make her Klaus's main target if Damon was not there for her.<p>

He wanted to trust Bonnie or Alaric and tell them about the situation, but he was afraid that they would turn on him and on Elena and Damon too. After all, they were anti-vampire just like him. But his sister was in danger, and one vampire was not going to make much difference.

He knew that he had to warn her. It would've been suspicious if he disappeared for another two days, since it was an almost thirty four hour drive from Virginia to Arizona since he didn't even trust getting on a plane. On the other hand, he didn't want to throw a text message like that at her, and there was no way he'd make a phone call. He decided to let some time pass and he'd visit her again, after all Bonnie said that there was no way the device could be completed before two months.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, sweetheart," Damon smiled at Elena who was still resting her head on his chest, nuzzling it.<p>

"Good morning, Damon," Elena smiled back softly.

"You know what, I might have a plan for today," Damon said, looking down at her.

"Hmm, and what's that?"

"Dinner," He replied casually with a grin on his lips. Elena smiled at him, but then the smile quickly turned into a worried one. "Do you think it's appropriate, given the situation in certain places?"

"Arizona's not affected that much," Damon laid back on the bed, "People are not doing that bad here. I mean the last I came here were a couple of bars and restaurants, there are no vampires residing here as far as I know so people are still living kinda normal. Besides, it's not that far. And you know that I'll protect you from any fang." He chuckled at the last part.

She chuckled back softly. "Well, if you are sure, I'm not going to complain…" It had been a long while since she enjoyed herself. Since she had gone out of the house. Her last 'outing' was when Damon took her to see Duncan, which ended up tragically, and that was over six months before since she had spent six months in the Dark Dimension. She shivered at the thought, and Damon noticed.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Damon, I'm fine."

"No. I can tell when something is wrong with you, Elena. What is it? Is it the baby?"

"No, the baby's fine," She said with a shrug. "I've been kinda thinking how long it has been since I last gone out. Six months in the Dark Dimension and all."

"Oh," His face darkened, it still pained him everyday to think what she must've gone through during those months.

"You know what," Elena said startled, "I've never thought about it before, actually. We never figured out why they were making me think that I had been in the Dark Dimension for weeks instead of months."

"Probably to have fun messing with your mind," Damon shrugged. "There is no other explanation."

She sighed. "Most likely."

"Now, you're going to ruin the mood with all this Dark Dimension talk," He fake-pouted. "Come on. Let's pick some clothes for you, shall we?"

He didn't wait for an answer, though, because he scooped her up in his arms and took her to the lovely walk-in wardrobe. He set her on a chair.

"This is what you'll be wearing tonight," He pointed at a perfect red dress which was simply beautiful.

"Oh my God, Damon this is beautiful," Elena exclaimed in surprise, "Where did you get this? It wasn't here…"

"I have my ways," He smirked back. "And you, my lady, certainly need some new clothes."

Elena chuckled. "You're spoiling me now, Damon."

"You deserve to be spoiled, my princess," He tapped her lightly on the nose. "Now, how about I make you breakfast?"

"Can I trust your cooking today? Remember…you are cooking for two."

"Oh right, how could I forget," he teased, "And yes, you can."

She let him pick her up again slowly and then he placed her on the countertop while taking the ingredients out to make a healthy breakfast for Elena. He wanted to keep her nutrition up as much as possible.

She was eating her toast and hard boiled egg when they were interrupted once again with a knock on the door.

"I think it's Stephanie," Elena said, as she stopped eating. However Damon gestured for her to continue her meal and he moved to open the door himself. However he almost turned pale when he saw who the other person was.

"Damon."

It was no one other than Stefan.

"What are you doing here, brother?" Damon said, keeping himself cool. He didn't want to expose Elena.

"I came to help."

"I don't know what you are talking about, but you've done so much for me already," Damon said through clenched teeth. "Hurting my girlfriend was enough, thanks." He was going to shut the door when Stefan's hand shot out to keep it open.

"I know Elena is here, Damon," Stefan said, his voice clear. "I've known for a long time now. But I am here to help. If I'm against you, Elena would've been dead by now, given to Klaus."

"How do you know about him?" Damon asked indifferently. There was no way in hiding Elena now.

"Long story. Tell your girlfriend to invite me inside, and we can have a chat."

"Over my dead body," Damon groaned, "If I do, the next thing you'd do you come and hurt her the second I turn my back on her."

"I think that your girlfriend should be able to make her own decisions. Otherwise you're no better than me," Stefan smirked. "Wasn't that why she hated me? Because I was the one in control? How is this any different?"

Damon's face turned red with anger, but before he could say anything Elena was behind him.

"Who is it?"

"Elena, get back inside," Damon warned, but Elena had already seen the person in the doorstep.

"Hello, Elena," Stefan said quietly.

"Damon, what the _hell _is he doing here?"

"I'm here to help you, Elena. You're in danger. Your baby is."

With that they both paused.

"So it's true, then, you really are pregnant," Stefan confirmed. "I wasn't sure, but now I am."

"Just get it out and leave us alone, Stef," Damon replied annoyed.

"Look, I was working with Klaus," Stefan started. "I didn't plan on hurting you, Elena."

"Didn't _plan_ to hurt me? Are you even listening to yourself right now?" Elena yelled, "Do you know how many nights I almost prayed that I'd die? Don't you remember how much I begged you to stop hurting me?"

"Elena-"

"Do you remember how you treated me at all?"

"Shut up and let me talk," Stefan growled, and before Damon could step in, he continued, "Klaus told me that he wanted the doppelganger. He never mentioned that he wanted you dead. The night Elijah told you Klaus's plan, I was confused myself."

"And let me guess, Klaus promised you something. What did Klaus promise to give you if you gave him Elena?"

"That's the thing, Damon," Stefan bit his lip. "He promised to give me Katherine back."

…

"Katherine's alive, Stefan! Katherine betrayed us, she wasn't in the tomb! You were there when we opened it!"

"It's true, she wasn't," Stefan said sadly, "Because she had been Klaus's hostage all these years. He tortures her, Damon. I hear her cries everyday, he even sent me videos of him doing it. I didn't want to hurt Elena, Damon. But I had to prove to him that I am tough and trustworthy. He blinded me."

"Yeah, and you ended up hurting an innocent girl! Hurting _her_," Damon snapped, instinctively pulling Elena towards him. "And you made her think that she had been there for weeks when you were keeping her there for months."

"That part is why I'm here," Stefan sighed. "During that time, Elena was being put to sleep. Klaus wanted to know if she really was the doppelganger and when he got his wish, he would come to check in on her. During that time, Klaus took a lot of blood from Elena to help create an army."

"An army of what?"

"Hybrids. The witches helped him trigger the curse without a moonstone or doppelganger, however he soon learnt that they didn't want to help him create an army, a race. He believes that the child you are carrying can kill him in the future. So, he is planning backup."

"How many hybrids are there right now?" Damon's head was about to explode now.

"Not much."

"And what got you to change your heart?" Damon spat again. "Why do you care?"

"Because I don't want this to happen. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Most of all, I don't want to hurt your baby. I can't be responsible for Klaus killing a small baby. Second, with Elena's blood involved, things are different. Klaus is stronger, and almost unstoppable. I'm not an idiot, Damon. I know that the second he gets sick of me he'll kill me _and _Katherine. Also, because I might find a way to get Katherine back anyway."

"How?"

"You don't have to worry about that, Damon," Stefan said, making it clear that he didn't want to talk about it. "Just worry about your family."

Stefan paused for a few moments, then continued, "If Klaus wants that baby dead, he'll make sure that it happens. Of course, he'll try to kill it before she is even born, since she's completely defenseless. This means that he'll kill you too, Elena. If he doesn't succeed, the girl and Klaus have to end this in the future. It'd be kill…or be killed. However, if the baby is born, Klaus cannot kill her until she is big enough to use the powers she inherited. Of course, Klaus will try to harm you now, to get rid of her now. The moment that girl comes into this world, she'll inherit your blood, your possessions, Elena. And the girl is sent by the witches to protect human kind. You and your baby, you are the saviors the witches sent. There are Aztecs about this."

"So he wants to kill me and my baby," Elena concluded, her hands tightening on Damon's.

"Yes. He does. He does not want any Petrova descendant running around. I know Klaus, trust me. That's why I can't even trust him with Katherine anymore, because he can be lying. He is just too blinded by this, Elena, because if you and your baby are dead he is the true definition of an immortal. Nothing can kill him."

There was an uncomfortable silence until Damon cleared his throat.

"Now, then, what do you suggest to do?"

"First of all, Elena," He turned to the brunette. "You must know your powers. You have power inside you. I saw what you did in the Dark Dimension, how you killed the vampire that was hurting that girl."

"Yeah, the question is how…"

"Rage, anxiety, courage," Stefan replied easily. "Your power is a type of power that is to be earned. Earned by various emotions. Practice."

He sighed. "This is our battle, however you are the one that we all depend on, Elena." With that, Stefan left without saying anything.

* * *

><p>"Do you trust him?" Elena asked Damon later. Her head was spinning and Damon looked more confused now.<p>

"I don't know," Damon sighed. "He did warn us about Klaus's plan on killing you-But we don't quite know his intentions. I know my brother, Elena-But this time I can't figure out what he's up to."

"You had told me once that your brother is on and off."

"Yeah. He can be nice and tamed for thirty years and a ripper for the next fifty. You can't figure him out unless you're me-And in this case, even _I_ don't know."

"Well, in my case I'm never considering him nice," Elena said, shivering as the memories of what he had did to her in the Dark Dimension occurred to her.

"I know," Damon whispered, his voice soft as silk. "What he did was unforgiveable. Love blinded him, and he chose to hurt you to show how ruthless he is to earn Klaus's trust. That is why I can't trust him-Why go through all that work to show how ruthless you are and then you just turn on him? There is something deeper than this, I know it."

Elena chewed on her perfect bottom lip.

"He is right about one thing, though," Damon started again, eyeing the brunette and speaking slowly. "Your powers. If this child can kill Klaus by inheriting your powers, than they really are something special. You need to work on them."

"Damon, what if I don't have to work on them?" Elena asked like she had just remembered something important.

His brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What if I can remove them?"

He was silent for a while. Sure, removing her powers would've been the best idea, because it would stop their daughter from her fate. But Damon knew that when Klaus learnt that his precious doppelganger and doppelganger's daughter were power-less, he would take revenge on them and killing them anyway.

He explained this to her and she nodded in agreement, because what he said could easily happen.

"So, I guess I just have to learn more about it," Elena said half-heartedly.

"Yes," Damon replied. "Stephanie will help you, I think. That witch seems to know a lot. I'm still not trusting anyone, though."

"I think we should call her."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the sound of high heels echoed throughout the entire corridor of the house, and there was a light knock on the door.<p>

"Hello Elena, Damon," Stephanie greeted as Damon invited her in. "I assume that you need my help?"

"Please, sit down," Elena gestured politely. "Yes, we do."

"Very well then," Stephanie said, sitting on the chair. "I have something to tell you, too. I've been doing a lot of research lately."

"What's going on?"

"I had a vision," Stephanie explained. "It was about Duncan. He was in the Dark Dimension, and he is still angry that you escaped from him, Elena. I believe that he wants you back, and he's planning on doing something about it."

"Oh my God," Elena cried out, "No…I can't let him find out about me…He will kill our girl, Damon…"

"You need to be prepared for everything, Elena," Stephanie said as a matter of factly. "You and your baby are the only two living beings that can kill Klaus. Many will come for you. The best thing you can do is to get to know your power."

Damon suddenly stopped frozen. "I think there's someone outside. I'll have to go check…" With that, he blurred outside.

When Stephanie and Elena were alone, Elena cleared her throat. "Stephanie, I was thinking about something, but I need your help."

"Tell me, Elena."

"I was wondering if there was any way that I can stop my child from getting my powers. Stephanie, if Klaus isn't going to kill my daughter when she's in me…He will still try to kill her when she's bigger and she has my powers. You said it yourself, she has a fifty fifty chance of survival."

"Elena, do you understand what you're saying?"

"Yes, Stephanie. I want this to be _my _fight. If it'll be _my _fight, I can die peacefully knowing that my daughter is okay. But if I lose my girl…I can't. Is there any way you can use to stop the power inside of me to channel to my baby?"

"I don't know," Stephanie said honestly. "I really don't. Elena, there were Aztecs about the child born from another supernatural being that can kill Klaus. It isn't something you can easily mess with. This is happening according to the Aztecs, and the prophecies. We can't mess with what has already been planned like that." She licked her dry lips nervously. "Why are you telling me this when Damon is not here?"

"Because I don't want Damon to know," Elena said simply. "If I can save my daughter from a future of running and fear, I will do it. But I can't tell him, Stephanie. Not right now."

"Elena, you should…"

"Please, Stephanie," Elena pleaded. "I can't. Not right now. Will you help me?"

She paused, then slowly nodded her head. "I'll do my best."

"There is something more you need to know, Elena."

"Yes?"

"The child is born to kill Klaus. So, when she is born, she can't be killed by Klaus. She can only be killed by Klaus when she has all the power needed but still loses the battle."

"It doesn't change my mind, Stephanie. I want to do it."

* * *

><p>"It was just some road accident," Damon said when he returned. "They are fine. I really thought someone was out there."<p>

"Oh, I see. I'm glad no one was hurt…"

"So, what do you suggest that Elena should do about her powers?"

"We can start practicing, right now," Stephanie said, rising from the chair. "We'll start from the basics. For instance, using the bracelet I gave you last time to channel me."

Elena rolled up her sleeve and connected the bracelet with Stephanie's like she instructed.

"Now, close your eyes," The other continued. "And tell me what you are seeing, feeling, smelling…Your senses, basically."

"I feel…scared," Elena said surprisingly. "And I can smell and see fog. What is this?"

"That is one of my worst memories," Stephanie explained. "Now, concentrate on me in the fog."

Elena did so, and in a second she stirred surprisingly. "Oh my God-I can see you in the vision. It's like I am living your memory."

"Yes, that is exactly what you are doing," Stephanie said, letting go of the bracelet and opening her eyes, and Elena did the same. "See? You are even stronger than I thought. You did everything on your own. Living a memory is a…skill that witches take years to fulfill."

"Now, let's work on your emotions," She continued. "It is a known fact that fear blocks out powers. Rage maximizes it, that is why you have to be careful. The best way to get what you want in a spell is by being determined. Since you are not a witch, you can't just chant in Latin like the rest of us do. It's what you think and want that matters."

* * *

><p>The lesson took over two hours, but Elena was getting surprisingly good. According to Stephanie, she had to know her powers and herself, but she was doing great on her own. Damon stood there supporting her as much as possible, and when Elena concentrated and was determined, the paper she was meaning to rip got torn to shreds.<p>

In the evening, he still didn't forget his promise to her.

"Do you still want to go to dinner?"

"Yes!"

"Your wish is my command," Damon bowed and in return Elena gave him a small curtsy.

"I'll go bathe and change," she smiled at him softly.

She let the warm water soothe her, and she noticed that her belly was already forming. She smiled at the thought of having a little female version of Damon-angelic blue eyes and beautiful face. Her smile quickly turned to sadness when she realized that she'd be lucky if she even got to hold her little girl, if Stephanie found a way like she had promised.

She was still in the shower when she felt Damon's presence behind her. He grabbed the shower and gently started working on her hair, before showering her small bump carefully with love.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing…"

"Come on, Elena, I can feel you thinking from here."

"No, really, I'm fine," Elena assured him. "I just want to go to dinner, that's all."

Damon didn't push her any longer, and as she changed into the lovely dress he picked out for her, he worked on his clothes. Elena applied some soft makeup and took Damon's hand.

"You look beautiful, Elena."

"You don't look too bad yourself," She teased.

Damon drove them to a very nice restaurant which was in a slightly abandoned area, but still was popular. When the server came to take their orders, Damon was immediately going to order two red wines-but he stopped himself quickly, earning a grin from Elena.

They sat patiently waiting for the chicken parmesan and Damon's steak.

"What were you talking about earlier with Stephanie?" Damon asked suddenly.

"Nothing. Just about powers and stuff…"

"Elena, I can tell when you're lying," Damon said firmly. "Tell me. What is going on?"

"Nothing, Damon, really," Elena sighed. "Look, I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back."

She left the table walking to the bathroom to put some cold water on her face. She wasn't feeling good, and that didn't mean she was physically sick. She was feeling guilty because she didn't want to lie to Damon.

She was about to get out of the bathroom when a familiar man appeared in front of her.

Duncan.

Before she could run or scream, he had her mouth covered. She tried to bite his arm but failed greatly. He leaned in next to her ear, and he said cruelly, "If you scream, her in the purple dress will be the next one to die."

Elena looked in horror at who he was pointing, to see a little girl about four or five years. She immediately silenced.

"Much better," He smirked, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Now, you are going to be a good girl and you're going to give me the phone you've been hiding throughout the conversation." He smirked widely.

"Please, don't…"

"Shh," he silenced her. "Remember, I am the one in control. I can have your boyfriend killed in a mere second, too."

Elena gave him her phone, having no other choice.

"Good girl."

"There is a door here that leads to outside," He continued sternly. "Keep walking straight. Make any move or funny business and I will kill them and you too. Got it?"

"Yes, yes, please don't hurt anyone…"

"Move."

They seemed to be walking for a few seconds and then he whispered to her ear, "Now, you're going to get in the car."

"Please…"

He pushed her in the middle seat, tying her hands with a thick rope and then she saw him taking a scarf out of a bag. Without warning, he shoved it into her mouth and tied it firmly around the back of her head. She tried to scream against the gag but he kept threatening, "If anyone hears anything, I will kill them."

Duncan turned to the driver. "Drive to the next motel you find."

* * *

><p><em>Longest chapter I've ever written! About 4000 words! It was a great chapter to write! <em>

_Just thought to explain this again in case it isn't clear:_

Elena thinks Klaus is either going to kill her baby while she is still unborn (therefore killing her, too) or he might kill her when the baby is grown up and ready to take him down. The child cannot be killed normally since the child is **originally born to kill Klaus.** So, once the child is born, she is **IMMEDIATELY SIGNED IN** for a harsh destiny in taking down Klaus, unless Elena channels all the power to herself and it'd be her fight. I've been thinking now lol, it's kinda like the story of Jesus haha. As you will later see, the powers (in fact I gave them no specific name, I will) are to be fulfilled all, and THEN she can fight with Klaus (:

_Anyway please leave a review and tell me how I did ;)_


	19. Sacrifices

**A\N** I'm writing this on my windows notepad because my computer is being repaired and this one doesn't have Microsoft Office yet :/ So please, bear with me and also please review because I'm doing such a sacrifice for you readers-Because those that know me know how much I HATE this program. It's like torture writing here, I don't know why.

So please, it only takes five seconds to review ;)

* * *

><p>"There is no use in trying to run," Duncan whispered harshly to Elena as he practically threw her off, and Elena closed her eyes, her tied arms shooting out as much as possible to protect her tummy. However she landed on a soft surface and she soon realized she was on a king-size bed and Duncan was hovering above her, smirking. "Everyone in this hotel is compelled."<p>

The ropes were too tight that Elena was sure that she was going to have bruises later. She was scared, she already knew what Duncan was capable of. He had

already made Damon torture her once, and she couldn't stop thinking of all the bad things he could do to her and she couldn't afford that-She was carrying a baby now, a fragile little human being inside her which have to be safe from anything that can physically hurt him.

Duncan approached on her, taking the scarf roughly out of her mouth but he didn't untie her hands.

"Do you want to know why you are here, sweetheart?"

Elena didn't respond, her eyes looking down to avoid his cold he couldn't have that-This was all just a game to him. He forced her chin up again. "Answerme, girl. Do you know why you're here?"

"No," Elena's voice cracked.

"Well, you're about to find out yourself," Duncan grinned, "As Klaus will be paying you a visit in a few minutes."

* * *

><p>Damon looked at the clock for the tenth time. What was taking her so long? The appetizers were already served, and she still didn't appear. He thought that maybe she was having a hard time with pregnancy and that was acceptable, but he was getting tensed now. He raised from the table, making his way to the women's bathroom, earning a few glares from the ladies that saw him do this.<p>

"Elena? Are you okay?"

No response.

"Elena, do you want to go home? We can go home if you don't want to stay..."

Again, there was no reply. This time, Damon's protective instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, he roughly opened the bathroom doors but to his horror, Elena was in neither one of them.

He immediately called her, but there was no answer.

A small little girl then appeared behind him, looking shy at first, but then she turned to him, "Excuse me, mister, are you looking for someone?"

"Yes," Damon turned to her, "A brunette, thin pretty girl. Do you know where she went?"

"A man took her out of that door," The girl pointed to the right, "Turn on the right. But don't tell my mummy I talked to you, she doesn't like when I talk to strangers."

Even though the situation was very bad at all, Damon couldn't help but notice how incredibly sweet the girl was. He almost imagined his own daughter like this.

"Thank you, sweetie," He smiled at the girl, "And I promise that I won't tell."

* * *

><p>"Why are you doing this to me? Why do you want me dead so much?"<p>

"Don't you understand, Elena?" Duncan turned around to touch her face, "You are the only person on this Earth that can extinct us. Bringing you to Klaus would make me his biggest ally. We would create our own race, and hunt down your miserable human existence."

Elena felt both relief and fear take over her. She felt relieved because based on his words, he didn't seem to know anything about the baby. But then, fear was slowly taking over her. What if he just kills her coldly and then deliver her body to Damon? What if he tortures her and her baby before he does? And most of all, she didn'twant her baby to die. She wanted Stephanie to help her save her daughter, even if it meant giving up her life for her child.

Before any of them could continue, though, there was a sudden blur and a tall, thin blonde man appeared in front of them. Elena bit back a gasp at the sudden appearance and immediately Duncan kneeled down. "Klaus."

It didn't take Damon very much before he managed to catch up with Elena's scent. It was like his body was connected to hers, because no vampire could catch up with a scent this fast.

He didn't even care that he was practically using his vampire speed in front of people, all he cared about was to track Elena down. He shouldnt've brought her to the restaurant, if anything happened to her he wouldn't live with himself. He was almost positive that it was Stefan's doing. Damon looked disgusted, if he laid one fingeron her he swore he'll rip his head off.

"Duncan," Klaus smiled pleasantly as he gave him a light hug and a pat on the back. "Such a pleasure to work with you."

"Pleasure is mine, Klaus," Duncan replied.

Klaus got a glimpse of Elena, still frozen on the bed, and he immediately pulled away to examine her. When Elena saw him coming she immediately jerked back, her back hitting the headboard painfully.

"Elena Gilbert..." Klaus approached her like a stalking beast, his gaze so blatant and cold that Elena's heart started to beat faster with each foot he took towards her.

"My precious doppelganger," He smiled, sitting down next to her, examining her from head to toe. "My dear friend, why did you keep the girl trussed up? You know we need her perfectly healthy," He turned to Duncan, and the latter immediately walked to Elena and untied her hands.

"Seems like my old ally betrayed me after all," Klaus smirked, running his finger down Elena's arm. "Tell me, princess, what did Stefan tell you exactly?"

Elena's breath caught in her throat. Klaus was already one step ahead of them. Klaus felt her tense up and he moved his lips to her ear, murmuring, "There is no use of hiding from me, Elena. I know about your pregnancy. You belong to me, of course I know..."

"She's pregnant?" Duncan's eyes widened, "You didn't mention this in our deal, Niklaus..."

"Duncan, I think your job is done," Klaus said firmly. "We will discuss our agreement later."

"No, we shall discuss the matter now," Duncan barked, "You didn't mention this in our agreement. I'm not stupid, I know that this is not possible! You want her for her powers, don't you?"

"You have been a good ally," Klaus announced, "But now it's time for you to die."

Without warning, Klaus reached out for the stake in his pocket and in a blur, the stake was in Duncan's heart, and Elena screamed at the bloody, unexpected scene in front of her. Klaus wiped his bloodied hand with a tissue and turned to Elena calmly.

"Y-you k-killed him," Elena whimpered, how could he do that when less than two seconds before he was hugging the guy?

"Yes, I did," Klaus smirked, "I think it is a good warning for you if you try to run. I may not be able to kill you whenever I please because everything has rules, but I can enjoy myself by torturing your loved ones."

She shivered involuntarily, and Klaus smiled, amused. He got uncomfortably closer to her and touched a loose strand of her hair. "It's okay, Elena. I'm not going to kill you yet."

"Please," Elena begged, "Take me. But let my baby be born, she is innocent..."

He ignored her pleas. "Tell me, what did Stefan tell you?"

"He just said that he wanted to help us protect her."

"Did he tell you why?" Klaus said with a cold look, "Did he tell you why he wanted the baby safe?"

"No," Elena croaked, "Is there a reason?"

"Humans, so stupid," Klaus laughed a devilish laugh. "Because Stefan hates me, Elena. He only worked with me to gain Katherine back. I know that he wants to kill me, but if he does, the chance to free Katherine would die with me. But somehow your precious little girl's blood is special. He can use her powers to free Katherine."

"It's better than killing us both because of your precious desire to be powerful and feared," Elena spat.

"Do you honestly think that he would keep you both around when he gets Katherine?"

"Why not?"

"Because he's Stefan, Elena. And Stefan is not yet over the sibling rivalry."

Klaus paused. "Don't you get it, Elena? Your blood and your girl's blood is special. This fight was written long before you were born. I won't let my race come to an end because of one stupid doppelganger and a child that isn't even born."

This time Elena felt fury building up inside her body. It was like she couldn't control her own actions. Without a warning, Klaus's bones twisted in an odd angle, causing him to scream in pain. The blood in his veins warmed up, and he felt pain in his entire body.

"Don't ever speak about my baby like that," Elena said in a voice that was definitely not hers.

"Stop it," Klaus groaned, "Or I'm ripping your head off right now, I swear to..." However all that came out next was a loud scream of pain as he felt himself burning.

"Go on, torture me," Klaus screamed, "This is all just a pathetic game to me. Do you think you can possibly win? I will have that child, Elena, and it will be dead before you can even stop me-"

"Elena!" Another voice came in the room, and Elena seemed to visibly relax and Klaus's pain ended. It was Damon that came in the room, and he grabbed Elena and blurred her out of the motel room.

However they didn't miss Klaus's scream, "Till the next full moon, Elena..."

* * *

><p>"What is going on?" Jeremy asked Bonnie and Alaric who were talking quietly in an abandoned room.<p>

"The device is almost ready to use," Bonnie explained, "I had help from witches on the other side."

"What? I thought it was going to take a few months," Jeremy said startled, he wanted to warn Elena and Damon about the device. If that device effected Damon, he would either be staked at the place or tortured to death in some kind of vampire cell, leaving Elena unprotected.

"No, it's ready," Bonnie said, seeming resigned. "It will be used as soon as we are positive it works, and we will end them all. The first to go will be those in Tennessee."

"Good," Jeremy managed to choke out. "I think I'll better go warn the others about our situation."

As soon as Jeremy got out of the room, he immediately took his phone out, trying to make a missed call to Elena to call him back. But as soon as he was about to speak, he felt pressure on his head, and then he was positive that he heard Alaric's voice, "He's working against us, Bonnie."

* * *

><p>As soon as they arrived in their little cottage, Damon laid Elena down on the couch. "Did he hurt you?"<p>

"I'm fine," Elena mumbled, tears flashing in her eyes. "I am so sorry, Damon..."

"Shh, you have nothing to be sorry for," He hushed her, welcoming her in a warm embrace. "We will kill him, Elena, I promise you."

"No we won't," Elena sobbed, "He is too strong and ruthless..."

"Shh, Elena..."

"Damon, I have to tell you something," Elena turned to him, "I made a deal with Stephanie. I want her to cut off the tie there is between our baby and me. I don't want my baby having any of my powers inside of her. He will kill her, Damon...Stephanie told me. If our baby is born. Klaus can't touch her before she has fulfilled her own powers to take him down. But I am scared, Damon...If he kills her before she's born, she's defenseless...He'll also kill me..."

Damon withdrew back, shocked. "Elena, what are you saying?"

"I'm not going to watch as my baby dies in my womb, Damon. And I'm not going to watch her grow up fulfilling some stupid powers and then watching her end this with Klaus. I shall be the one that kills Klaus after Cheryl is born."

"Elena..."

"No, Damon, please listen. I don't want her having my powers. It's a fight between me and Klaus. Stephanie will train me, will help me know myself, my gift. My blood is extraordinary, Damon, even Klaus said it..."

"What you're doing is you being a martyr," Damon suddenly exploded- "You can't do that, Elena, you have a 50\50 chance of survival..."

"If I don't, then Cheryl will be the one that have that chance..."

"Elena, I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself, we'll find another way!"

Elena turned red with anger. "Damon, do you want to hold our baby or not?"

"I told you I won't let him touch her!"

"But he will when she is old and ready! As a child, she doesn't have that power and she's protected..but we don't know what will happen! This is her fight if she has those fucking powers!"

Damon silenced, and Elena's tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry-"

"No, Elena, I don't want to hear your apologies," Damon said, resigned, "What you're doing is leaving me alone. How can I ever love Cheryl if you die?" With that, he blurred away from her.

Those words were like daggers pressed to Elena's heart. She curled into a ball on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

She was scared and lost.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I hope that you liked it, please drop a review! Next chapter will involve a summary since I have to admit, my stories have a lot to memorize :P **

**Thank you for reading. **


	20. A proposal

**A/N Sorry for the long wait-I was so busy working on "Safe in Your Arms".**

**As promised, here is a summery for the story. Btw, pls help me reach 200 ;)**

**Warning: This is a filler chapter to ease from the stuff that had been going on lately in the story.**

In my story, vampires are slowly taking over the world. Vampires have human companions and although authorities try to protect human rights, the vampires are doing what they please because no one really stops them. Elena was kidnapped and taken to Damon Salvatore, and at first he forces her to become his blood companion. However, the two develop a romantic relationship until Damon killed Vladimir, one of the most cruel leaders, to protect Elena from being tormented and bitten. Duncan, the other leader, punished the couple by sending Elena to the Dark Dimension, where Elena learnt about her fate-That she must die because her blood is special. It can end vampire existence.

During the time in the dark dimension, Elena became Stefan's blood companion, who is a vampire that cared only about her blood-and his revenge on his brother. During that time, Elena was put to sleep and she had blood taken to create hybrid armies, and she had been taken from Damon for six months, not weeks, like she believed. At that time, Damon was forced to kill and turn to his old ways.

On the other hand, humans Alaric and Jeremy, and Bonnie try to save the wounded persons after vampire attacks, and also try to free human beings from being treated badly. They attack on the Dark Dimension however Elena and Damon had already escaped by the help of a witch, Stephanie. Soon after, Damon takes Elena to a house he owned to keep her safe. However, they soon realize that Elena is pregnant with Damon's child, and that Klaus will come to take their baby daughter and kill her since she's the only one of her kind. However, the baby can be either killed in Elena's womb (killing Elena too) or when she is ready enough to know her powers. To protect her daughter from a terrible future, Elena spoke to Stephanie and begged her to remove the link between a mother and her baby so that Elena's powers will not travel to her baby's and she'll die instead of her daughter. On the other hand, Jeremy decided to help Elena and Damon after he learnt his sister is alive but he decided to keep it a secret since Damon is a vampire-and vampires were getting killed by Alaric and Bonnie along with the new device that was to be spelled soon.

Last chapter we saw Elena and Klaus's first encounter, and that Stefan wants Katherine back at all costs, that's why he is now determined to protect Elena's baby, because she is the last chance he's got if Klaus is dead-Because Stefan teamed up with Klaus in hope that he'll free Katherine. Jeremy was also caught by Bonnie and Alaric and they are not trusting him. Damon learns about Elena's plan on giving up her life for Cheryl's.

Hope this summary helped ;)

* * *

><p>"Damon, my child…"<p>

Damon heard a soft, velvety voice. It had been two days, and he hadn't yet spoken to Elena. She had tried to talk to him, but whether it was anger, anxiety, or sadness, he didn't want to face her. He was also feeling guilty for the things he said to her and the harsh sentence that he wouldn't love their daughter if she died. That was not true, he'll love Cheryl no matter what, but no girl could replace his Elena.

"Mom?" Damon gasped out semi-consciously. "What's going on? How are you here?"

"My child," Elizabeth Salvatore said, smiling at her son, dressed all in white. She looked like an angel. "I see that you are so sad, and scared…"

"I am, mother," Damon let himself cry, "They're after my girl and my baby."

"Damon, everything will be alright," His mum assured him. "I'm doing the best I can from up there. I can't do much, but Damon, have faith. And support Elena, Damon, don't abandon her. She's lost and sad, and I can see that."

"I know…"

"Don't leave her alone, Damon," The voice repeated again.

Damon woke up with a start. He noticed that he was sweating, and Elena was asleep next to him. He had been going to bed much later than she was, but still, he didn't miss the tear-tracks down her cheeks.

He sighed deeply. His mother was right. He shouldn't leave Elena alone. He should help her and support her, and then try to talk her out of the idea. But after all, Elena needed comfort and love, and courage-because she was ready to be _killed-_for their daughter.

Damon turned on his side to touch Elena's cheek. Her hand was on his pillow, almost waiting for him to take it. She was close to him, her body almost touching his, and if her eyes were open, he was sure that they'll be pleading. He sighed again, caressing her cheek more softly before grabbing her hand and putting it in his own.

"Damon?" She said in her adorable sleepy voice.

"Everything's fine, Elena. Go back to sleep," He kissed her palm, smiling softly at her. However, she only widened her eyes, a smile covering her lips. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not," Damon assured her. "I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean what I said."

"I forgive you," Elena tightened her grip on his hand. "And I'm sorry too, for not discussing it with you."

* * *

><p>"What the hell's going on here?" Jeremy was holding his head, his body was paralyzed from the waist down. He couldn't stand up or move.<p>

"I've noticed you acting strange," Bonnie said in a heartbroken voice. "But I didn't think that you can be working against us…"

"No, I'm not working against you, Bonnie," Jeremy said, almost pleading. "Please understand that."

"I can't," Bonnie replied, tears in her eyes. "God, I trusted you so much." She wiped away the cool tears. "I did a spell to make you unable to move. There is no use in trying to escape."

Suddenly, Alaric appeared next to Bonnie. Apparently, Jeremy was in one of the cells they used for vampires.

"We know that you're not a vampire," Alaric added, "We tried vervain. But I want you to tell me what they make you do."

"Alaric, I'm not working with vampires," Jeremy insisted. "I would never do such a thing! Why are you doubting me?"

"You have sent texts to Damon Salvatore, for God's sake!" Bonnie cried out, "How could you do this to us, Jeremy? And to your sister? Or do you not care if we'll get her back or not?"

"Elena is okay!" Jeremy exploded before he could even mutter the words.

Alaric and Bonnie's heads whipped around to face him. "What?"

"I went to see Elena," Jeremy confessed, "Bonnie…Your best friend is pregnant."

* * *

><p>Elena was preparing a Caesar salad when she felt a kick in her belly. It was the first time that she felt her daughter kick with more strength, and although she hissed a little from the pain a warm smile tugged on her lips. Yes, her daughter was alive, and she was a baby-Not some kind of supernatural being like they were picturing her. No, she was just a little, fragile baby.<p>

"You felt her, didn't you?" Damon said, as he stopped chopping the vegetables and wiped his hand with a paper towel.

"Yes, I did," Elena smiled, "And…Oh my God, Damon. When she hears your voice, she just jumps!"

"What?" Damon asked, amazed, and Elena smiled as Cheryl seemed to jump again. "I've noticed her doing it before, but I didn't know that until now. Whenever she hears you, she either jumps or kicks…"

Damon rubbed his hands against Elena's belly. "I can feel her, you know," he explained, "Vampire senses are sharper than humans. I can feel her like I feel you." He put Elena's hand on her own belly. "Look," He instructed, "Here is her hand."

"She's kicking with her hand, then," Elena smiled. "Clever baby."

"And I can feel her feat," He continued, exploring Elena's belly, and she could feel the baby jump inside her.

"She's developing faster than a human baby," He said, "She's not as fragile as human babies are. Her bones are more firm, I can sense that about her."

"Just like her dad, then," Elena grinned, "She'll be strong and determined."

"But she'll be beautiful like her mother," Damon captured Elena's lips in his own. "And she'll be warm, kind and unselfish."

"I can't wait to hold her," Elena stated, though she knew that there was a high chance that she wouldn't be able to hold her, because Elena could be dead.

"Elena," Damon took her face gently in his hands. "You will hold her. We both will. We're going to be fine. We are going to buy a new house outside of Mystic Falls, and I will be the one to stop the vampire-human war that is going on. _For _you. _With _you. I won't raise my daughter in an environment that is…war."

"I know…"

"It will be okay, Elena," He assured her again, "We'll fight for what's ours. We will live again."

Then, all of a sudden, Damon kneeled down in front of her.

"Elena, I've been thinking about this for quite a while now," His voice was soft, almost shy. "But I never asked you before."

Elena was frozen as Damon took out a small box. "Will you marry me, Elena?"

Never in a hundred years did Elena expect something like that. Her dream would come true-to become Mrs. Elena Salvatore. To keep living with him, to raise her child, to be able to call him her husband.

"Yes!" She almost screamed, and then Damon had slipped the ring into her finger, admiring how perfect it fit into her thin, long finger. The ring was his mother's, a diamond ring with a special gem on it, which was very expensive. Now, it was going to be Elena's, his wife's.

Now he just had to fulfill his promises-That he would cherish what he had forever.

As Elena smiled at the sight of the ring in her finger, Damon took this opportunity to lift her up on the kitchen counter, kissing her without giving her a chance to breathe or talk. His hands stroked her hips and waist as his finger traced up and down her spine, causing her to shiver.

"Ah, we better stop, Mrs. Salvatore," Damon purred against her cheek. "We don't want you to over-exert yourself, don't we?"

Elena pouted, making her look adorable even more, and Damon kissed her again, gentler this time.

He knew now that he was going to cherish her forever. He wouldn't push her to give up her mortality, or to make her feel anything less than his wife and his soulmate. On the contrary, he knew that Elena was a strong, independant woman, even as a human.

"Come on, let me help you down," Damon said, and Elena twirled around him, placing a kiss on his lips before he guided her to the couch and continuing the cooking himself.


	21. A Ring

3 months later

It had been three months since Damon proposed. Elena was now almost five months pregnant, and she was feeling happy. Damon was always there with her, comforting her, helping her, listening to her whenever she cried, and making sure she was safe. At first, when Elena started realizing that months were passing without any trouble happening, she was even more scared that Klaus had something big prepared for them. But with Damon's love and reassurance, she found herself accepting the fact that they're simply okay. Her baby was fine, and Stephanie's help was doing great. She was practicing with her powers as well, using her emotions to get what she wanted, and Stephanie was also trying to help her unlink the powers between her baby and Elena-Though it was very hard, since like Stephanie said, the baby and Elena had the same blood. Petrova blood.

"We haven't heard from your brother for a while," Damon said as he helped Elena make the bed.

"Yeah, I know," Elena sighed, "I miss him."

Damon tugged at the covers lightly, looking compassionately at Elena. "Elena, you know that I would love to take you to see your brother…But I don't think it's such a good idea, putting you at risk."

"I know, Damon," Elena said softly. "It's okay."

"No, really," Damon assured her again, "I hate keeping you here like you're some kind of prisoner."

"Damon, I know you want the best for us," Elena reached out to give him a peck on the cheek. "So don't worry your pretty little head about it, ok?"

Damon smiled, coming from behind her and wrapping her up in a hug. "Come on, let's make you breakfast," He said, picking her up. Then, with a cocky smile Elena couldn't see, he said, "Oh my God. I can't even carry you. You must weigh at least a ton."

He looked at her pouty face. The pregnancy made her thin body look much bigger, and he knew she was annoyed when he mentioned something. But she was just too cute when she was all riled up.

"Kidding, princess," He smiled, making his way downstairs.

* * *

><p>Jeremy twisted on the hard bed he was sleeping on. He had been in that cell for three months. Alaric was so disappointed in him that he wasn't even talking to him. After he told Bonnie the news that Elena was still alive and pregnant, Bonnie couldn't even speak. The words caught in her throat, and she had left the cell sobbing. She didn't want to kill Elena's baby's father, she was her best friend. But then, with the device she was creating, she was going to save so much people. She knew that the best option was to warn Damon before the device would be activated so that he won't be killed, but it was easier said than done with the members of the Founder's council putting pressure on her. The device was supposed to be ready about a month before, but Bonnie was trying to complete the process in the longest time possible in hope that maybe she'd do the right thing.<p>

She also hated the fact that Jeremy was in that cell, and was considered as a traitor. He didn't deserve it.

She took a deep breath. No, she said. I'm a witch, for God's sake, I should be able to make my own decisions.

She walked slowly to the cell in Jeremy's room, and the latter stared at her with pleading eyes.

"I'm trying to help Elena, Jer," She finally admitted. "I don't want to be the one that destroys your sister's life. Elena's my best friend, Jeremy. God knows how many nights I cried when she was taken away." She wiped a small tear. "I won't kill the man she loves."

"Thank you, Bonnie," Jeremy said, "I was so scared of Damon…But he loves her, Bon. He loves her too much… And the baby…"

"Shh, you don't have to explain," Bonnie assured him. "But I still have to do the spell. The members of the council are noticing something weird going on. I promised them that by tomorrow the device will be ready to use. This is where you'll be taking part…"

She cleared her throat. "I have a spell that can make a vampire immune to the device. Like I already explained, every vampire will be marked on this device, it will make the vampires weak and we can pinpoint exactly where they are. Some of them will be brought here, others will be simply killed. I did this spell to this ring here," She gestured to a blue ring. "Give it to Damon. If he puts it on, the device won't mark where he is, and he won't even feel anything."

"But Bonnie…If they know you released me…"

"Everything's being taken care of. Just head straight to the back door. Whatever happens, don't turn back. This place is under a spell right now, but I'm warning you Jeremy…whatever happens, just continue heading straight to Elena's. Don't talk to anyone, don't trust anyone."

"I understand," Jeremy assured her. "Thank you so much, Bonnie."

With that, Bonnie kissed him on the cheek. "Goodluck."

* * *

><p>"Let me do the dishes," Elena moaned as Damon basically pushed her down on the chair again, wearing that teasing smile that annoyed the living crap out of her.<p>

"Oh no, little missy, Stephanie told you you need lots of rest."

Elena groaned under her breath.

"What? You think I have vampire hearing for nothing?" He smirked, tapping at his ear.

"God, you annoy me," Elena mumbled.

"I love you too," Damon smirked again and placed a kiss behind her ear. "Now, stop whining and go take a seat on the couch. We can watch a movie."

Sighing deeply, Elena walked to the couch and made herself comfortable by the fireplace. "What are we watching? Oh…how about Nightmare on Elm street?"

"I don't think so," Damon called back, "I don't want you getting frightened or startled…it won't do you any good."

"God!" Elena shouted, throwing a pillow at him which he caught easily.

"Come on. Let's watch titanic," Damon suggested, inserting the disc as he made himself comfortable next to her. She gave him a cold look.

"Come on, pouty," He smirked, pulling her head back to rest on his chest, stroking her smooth hair as the movie started.

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight now however neither of them were tired enough for bed. They were talking in the kitchen when there was a light knock on the door, and Damon raised his head up suspiciously, they weren't expecting Stephanie, and even if they did, definitely not at this time. He gestured for Elena to stay inside and moved quietly to the door.<p>

"Jeremy! What are you doing here?" He recognized the person and immediately opened the door.

"I have so much to tell you…" Jeremy said, he was practically breathless. He had been driving for hours now, and he was exhausted, hungry and excited.

"Jeremy?" Elena called out and ran straight to him. "God I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Jeremy said, burying his head in her hair. "God knows how much things happened…"

He didn't let go of her, and Damon took some snacks out of the fridge and offered them to Jeremy. The latter thanked him, and after he had a handful of the grapes, he turned to his sister and Damon and started to explain everything.

"Damon, the device is against vampires," He said again. "Every vampire in this area will be weakened and pinpointed from this device. The townspeople are finally rebelling. I can't let you die, Damon…I have a witch on my side, but she still has to proceed. However, she gave me this…" Jeremy showed Damon the ring. "If you wear it, you'll be fine."

"There isn't really much choice other to trust the ring," Jeremy added again when he saw Damon hesitating. "Unless you want to travel to Europe in less than 24 hours, which is impossible."

Damon knew it was the only way. He couldn't just travel with his pregnant fiancé-not only across the country-but to an entire different continent where they didn't know who is to be trusted.

"Thank you, Jeremy…" Elena said, "I'm so sorry you got dragged into this."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Jeremy stayed with them. He had assured them both that as long as Damon wore the ring, they wouldn't be discovered. No one knew where they were staying and if they were in the US at all. However, he did tell them what had been going on lately, between vampires and humans.<p>

"Elena, you can't stay hidden forever," He told her when they were alone. "Your home is Mystic Falls, with me and Jenna, and your friends."

"Jeremy, you seem to be forgetting the fact that it's no longer me now," Elena chided lightly. "It's not just my decision. Damon's going to be my husband soon, and the baby I'm carrying-She's his daughter. I can't move in a town which is unsafe."

"I know," Jeremy sighed. "But I miss you, Elena. And Jenna almost went crazy. She had been taken to a vampire too, you know. When she got back and found that you were gone…" Jeremy wiped a tear. "Elena, it was horrible."

"I know, I know," Elena said, hugging him. "God, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. None of this is."

"It's mine," Damon's voice cracked. "If Elena wasn't taken from her home and delivered to me…none of this would've happened."

"Klaus would still be wanting to hurt me," Elena assured him, "It's not your fault. It's my destiny. With you, I'm safe."

"I know that you love my sister," Jeremy said. "And like she said…Elena would still be in danger even if she didn't meet you. It would've happened sooner or later."

Damon stroked Elena's arm comfortingly.

But as they were talking, suddenly there was a huge noise from outside. Immediately, Damon fled to see what was going on.

And then, no one knew what happened.

The door was kicked down, and suddenly Jeremy was being held roughly and kicked at. Damon found himself being grabbed but his strength returned as he saw a man yanking Elena from her hair, and he flashed to him, ripping his head off and grabbing Elena's hand.

But before any of them could realize what was going on, more people with wooden stakes came to yank Damon. He felt himself being kicked at, stabbed, and then suddenly, he felt vervain in his eyes. He screamed in agony, the pain was too much that he thought he was going blind. His hand let go of Elena, and all that Damon heard before he was taken away was Elena's cry as the people separated them from each other, taking them to different ways.

They had been discovered…or betrayed.

* * *

><p><strong>Woah wrote that all in one setting. Review please?<strong>

**Ohhh and PLEASE is there anyone that knows "heart of darkness" promo's song name? I'm dying!**

**And what do you think about the episode? I'm slowly gaining hope for Delena even in next week's promo, but don't hold your breath...It doesn't exactly mean they'll be fine, they never are cause the writers always throw something that makes Elena hate Damon. I soo hated that the bloodsharing scene was Damon's dream -.-**


	22. Sacrifice: Part 1

"No!" Elena was screaming, her hands pounding against the man's back, the man that was carrying her away from Damon. She could see Damon's unconscious form and her brother being beaten by the strange men. However, the monster didn't care, he didn't even flinch at her cries or attempt to hit him. In fact, he didn't even bother to look at her or face her. Elena was surprised that he didn't hurt her. He kept walking coolly until he shoved her roughly on the backseat.

"Don't touch her," He snarled at the other man, however low enough for Elena to not hear anything. "Klaus wants her unharmed."

"If she keeps on with this behaviour…I don't know if I can," The last one commented cruelly.

"I mean it, Davis. Klaus warned me that he'd kill us if we get a scratch on the human."

"Fine," Davis sighed. "Let's get this over with."

"Where are you taking me?" Elena struggled as Davis sat next to her, cursing under his breath.

"You'll see," Davis said dryly. "Now, shut up, because my temper is a short one."

"What have you done to Damon? Let me out!" Elena tried to open the door, but it was locked, obviously.

"He's being taken care of," Davis smirked. "It wasn't hard to follow your brother from that place in Virginia…Mystic Falls, isn't it?"

"Please, don't harm me," Elena whimpered. "Take me back!"

But the only answer Elena got was a cruel laugh.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing to me?" Damon rarely cried from pain, but this time, his face was damp with cold sweat and tears were coming out of his eyes. His hands were shackled and chained, and apparently, vervain was involved. The chains were digging deep into his skin, but what was hurting Damon was the torture he had been getting.<p>

"This is Damon Salvatore," One of the humans was saying. "This is the same monster that killed our daughters, our friends…"

"You'll rot in Hell," another one accused. "The device will make you scream in agony. You'll wish that you've never been born."

"What have you done to Elena?" Damon growled against the chains. "If you touch her I'll swear to God I'll rip you apart."

There was a sudden silence. The humans stared at each other, mumbling and whispering.

"You care about a human?" One of them stepped in front of Damon, but still at a careful distance. It was Alaric Saltzman.

"She's my fiancée," Damon said, choking on the blood forming into his mouth. "I never hurt Elena. She's staying with me willingly."

"Well, Elena is being taken to safety," Alaric said. "She'll be in our beloved Mystic Falls soon enough."

* * *

><p>"I don't believe him," Alaric said. "I still think Elena's compelled. I didn't believe Jeremy when he gave me the news. There isn't such thing as love between a vampire and human…and there sure as hell can't be a child involved."<p>

"He seems that he loves her though," Another woman whispered. "When we brought him here, he didn't care about himself at all…"

"Nonsense," Alaric spat. "I've finally got my hands on Damon Salvatore…a vampire I've been hunting for years. I know what he is, he can't love. I won't take any risks."

* * *

><p>Elena's eyes and face were red and puffy. She was feeling pain in her tummy, and her body was shaking. She was also feeling very cold, and empty. Yes, she was feeling empty-like she had been stripped down from something.<p>

She tried to focus on her powers, the training she had done with Stephanie to cut the connection between her and her daughter, the power-connection, as Elena liked to call it. She wanted to stop the power from flowing through her baby's body.

But fear blocked any chance of powers, Stephanie had said. Fear was a weakness. She couldn't be afraid if she was going to use her powers. That's why she was feeling empty.

"Powers work with emotions," She had explained in a clear voice. "And faith. You're not a witch, Elena. Your powers are supernatural, mine…I was naturally born with them. I believe that your powers were a part of your destiny, and as a preparation for your baby. You have to have faith."

But it was easier said than done when she was being taken against her will, in a car full of vampires, to Klaus, the one that wanted her baby dead and her as well.

"Here we are," Davis said casually, and in a second the door was open. He grabbed her from her arm, pulling her out of the car. He put a hand on the small of her back, tightening it as a warning to keep moving forward and slightly pushing her.

And there, her death was waiting. Klaus was waiting.

"I see you completed your mission," Klaus smirked. "Good job…Davis, Brady." He acknowledged them. "You're now spared."

Brady and Davis vanished before he even finished the sentence. Klaus raised his eyebrows up and rolled his eyes. He seemed to forget about Elena until he turned towards her, smiling viciously.

"Elena Gilbert," He smirked, his eyes scanning her body from head to toe. "So happy to see you here."

He took small steps towards her. "You escaped from me last time," Klaus said softly, slowly. "I'm not going to let this happen this time."

"Greta," He called, and an African American witch appeared. "Make sure she can't use any of her juju on me, will you?"

"No!" Elena cried out, "Stop!"

But Greta focused on Elena, muttering a spell in Latin.

"I…I can't," Greta said, her voice stammering, fearing Klaus's reaction. "There's someone blocking me."

"Do whatever you need to do!" Klaus roared, "Or I'll rip you apart."

Greta shivered, bowing respectfully, muttering the spell again, this time with more urge.

"I'm sorry, Klaus! I can't…someone's blocking me!"

"It must be the child," Klaus spat, and turned to Elena, grabbing her roughly from her shoulders. "Tell me, Elena," He snarled. "Did you try to 'cut the connection' between you two? To save your child from a terrible future? To beg me to kill you instead of the power-less child?"

Elena didn't talk.

"Elena, I am not a very patient man…"

"Yes, I did."

He let out a cold laugh. "Sweetheart, that child is the reason you have your powers in the first place."

He let go of her. "Guess I'll just have to kill you both. Well, like I always actually planned."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I can give you a thousand reasons," Klaus smirked. "When you and that creature die, it will officially end witchcraft, meaning vampires can rule this world. I'll get rid of the Petrova bloodline. And most of all, that baby is the last thing on this earth that can fight me. Without it in my way, I'll be the true definition of an immortal."

Tears formed in Elena's eyes. She had never felt so weak.

Klaus raised her chin up. "Elena, Elena," He said, "Think of this. You'll be dying for the vampires you really love. Oh, did I not mention that vampires like your Damon can have an easier life? They can walk in the sun amongst people and can live without blood? All with the sacrifice of your deaths. Amazing, isn't it?"

He reached out to softly stroke her cheek. "So much different than what Elijah told you in the dark dimension, isn't it? Elijah's a fool."

He stepped back from her. "Tomorrow's a full moon. I think you have enough time to ask forgiveness for your sins."

No. It couldn't be too soon. There had to be another way. She couldn't die like this.

"Spare my daughter!" She cried, "Please! Let me give birth to her, then you can do whatever you want to me…Let me go, I promise that I won't run."

But her pleas were ignored as she was taken to a bedroom and locked in.

* * *

><p>Morning came. The device was all set, however Bonnie was worried. Jeremy had promised he'd text her to tell her that Damon and Elena were safe, but there was no response.<p>

"All ready?" Alaric came up behind Bonnie, rubbing her arm comfortingly. "It will work."

Bonnie took a deep breath. She had to trust him. "Ric," She cried, "I did something…I had to protect Elena and Damon."

"You what?" Alaric gasped, "Damon? What did you do?"

"Alaric, Elena's my friend! And she's going to be a mother. He loves her, Ric, I know it's his baby! I couldn't let him die!"

Alaric rubbed his face. He loved Bonnie and Elena like his daughters; they had been through so much together. He was the parental figure to the Gilbert kids. Damon's death would devastate Elena, and her baby would be raised without a father.

"We can't stop the entire device process to save one vampire, though," Alaric said, calmly.

"Damon will be untouched. I made sure of that, I gave him a ring," Bonnie stated. "But something's wrong. Jeremy was helping me, and he didn't answer me back."

"Jeremy was considered a spy, Elena," Alaric said. "We went for Damon and found Jeremy there."

"Wait, so if Jeremy's being held by our team, then who took Elena?"

"Oh God," Alaric said, suddenly remembering. "Two of them…They volunteered to capture Damon…But I saw them taking Elena away. They said that they'll bring her here safely. I told them that Elena should be kept safe."

"Davis and Brady," Bonnie gasped. "I had an eye on them for weeks. They're vampires, Rick, and they definitely aren't going to bring Elena here! This is all a mistake, Rick…Elena didn't have to be saved and brought to anywhere…"

"Bonnie, I'll fix it, okay?" Alaric assured her. "I'll see where those bastards took her and I'll free Damon and Jeremy."

"What the hell, Rick? You want to free _him?_" The entire human-vampire hunters gasped when Alaric brought them the news.

"We were wrong. We thought that Davis and Brady were all on our side. They _kidnapped _Elena…not rescued her."

"You mean Elena Gilbert is not in town?"

"No, she isn't," Alaric confirmed. "It's our duty to fix this. We were played."

* * *

><p>Elena didn't know how she was able to sleep but she did. The sun woke her up, and for a second she thought that she'll find Damon's arm wrapped around her waist like she found every morning. But there was no Damon, and she was still locked up in the mansion waiting for her death to come that same evening.<p>

"Good morning, sleepyhead," A mockingly-cruel voice said with a smirk.

Elena shot up from bed, throwing a glance at Klaus.

"I thought I'd bring you some good food since it's your last day and all," Klaus smirked, "And I still need your contribution in your own death."

"There is no way in hell I'm helping you."

"That's too bad, Miss Gilbert, because I was planning to end your life in the least torturous way possible. I hate hurting young children."

Elena froze. The thought of her baby dying painfully was too much to bear.

"See? Co-operation is better, isn't it?"

Elena bit back a sob. "What do you want me to do?"

"That will be explained soon, my dear," Klaus continued with his perfect British accent. "All I need is that you'll sit here and behave. And do nothing."

* * *

><p>Alaric released Damon and the latter rubbed his sore wrists.<p>

"Here," Alaric said, throwing a blood bag at Damon, "Drink up. Elena has been kidnapped."

"What?" Damon's hands turned into fists. "I thought you said that she's safe in Mystic Falls."

"We were played," Alaric said shortly. "Bonnie's already preparing to do a tracker spell. We'll need your blood."

* * *

><p>"The device is done," Bonnie told Jeremy after their long-lasting hug. "You can activate it."<p>

She made a small but deep cut into Jeremy's wrist, since they needed Gilbert blood. The latter poured the blood over the device as Bonnie chanted in Latin. "About 3,000 vampires in these areas can be weakened," She continued. "Alaric's team shall attack."

"3,000 vampires?" Damon suddenly appeared and asked, "Well, what about the rest?"

"This device can only work within these locations for now," Bonnie explained shortly, scanning Damon's face. "So, you're Elena's captor."

"I was," He corrected, "Things change. You should know, with your Salem Witches' heritage, that I love Elena and that everything I'm saying it's true. All I care about is getting Elena safely. I don't care what happens to vampires as long as Elena gets out without a scratch."

Bonnie studied him for a moment, the genuine look at his face showed that he was telling the truth. "Very well, then. Give me your hand."

Bonnie opened a big map of the United States. "I can't track Elena with your vampire blood," She explained, "But I can track your baby, since obviously, your baby inherited your vampire blood as well."

Damon was briefly confused, but now was not the time to ask questions. Giving his hand to Bonnie, he watched as the latter cut his hand and poured it on the map.

"Oh God," Bonnie shouted after a few minutes. "They have a witch on their side…She blocked me!"

"What are you saying? That you can't track Elena?" Damon growled angrily.

"Elena is protected from any kind of magic," Bonnie explained, "The witch on their side blocked any access."

"There has to be another way…" Damon turned around, as if the wall was going to give him answers. "What's the date?" He suddenly growled.

"What?"

"The date! Today's date!"

"23rd November," Bonnie said. "It's Friday."

"Oh my God," Damon realized, a shiver running down his spine. "Bonnie…tonight's the full moon!"

_The full moon_, the words echoed in Damon's head. Klaus had promised Elena that she'll die on a full moon.

* * *

><p>"We're leaving," The door was fluttered open and Elena, who was sitting on her bed, jerked back immediately when Klaus blurred, appearing in front of her.<p>

"Please, I beg you," Elena said, tears in her eyes. "Please."

"I'm sorry, Elena," He said unapologetically. "There is no other choice."

He yanked her up, putting a hand on the small of her back, guiding her, or rather pushing her, down the stairs.

"Your hands!" He demanded, but Elena refused to move. Klaus let out a low growl and grabbed her arms roughly, tying them behind her back with a thick rope. "Can't have you escape now, can't we?"

He grabbed her from her elbow and pulled her along with him.

* * *

><p>They seemed to be walking for hours. Elena was dying of thirst and she was now feeling very strange and sick. It was probably the fear, but the poor girl couldn't take it anymore. She put her head down, trying to catch her breath.<p>

"Move," Klaus snarled.

"I can't," Elena sobbed, "I can't walk anymore."

Pain coursed through her entire body, and a small scream escaped Elena's mouth.

Cursing and not caring at all, Klaus pulled her in his arms and started to use his vampire speed.

Suddenly, he stopped and set her on her feet. "Remember this place?"

Elena let out a gasp. It was the same sea they ended up in after Stephanie helped her and Damon escape from the Dark Dimension. The same magical place that protected humans, and also chose Damon to be Elena's soulmate and the child's father.

She didn't even realize that Klaus was strapping her on some kind of rock, a rock that was generally used to sacrifice animals and humans in the older days. He stroked her hair and cheek, before tracing her lips for a second and whispering,

"Vampires will be grateful for this sacrifice, sweetheart."

* * *

><p>Destruction. Screaming. Death. Blood.<p>

Jeremy's head was spinning. The device was working. The vampires were all screaming in agony. Human warriors were entering homes, freeing the poor slaves the vampires were keeping, staking dangerous vampires and taking those less dangerous with them in cages, aiming to torture them, to rebel, to pay them for everything they had done.

"That one," Jeremy screamed. "Don't kill that one. I'm sure he'll serve us for something."

"What's your name?" One of the human warriors asked, preparing a vervain dart.

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because I can kill you in a second."

"Stefan Salvatore," The vampire said.

_Salvatore, _Jeremy thought. Salvatore as in Damon.

"Lock him up in that cage," He heard himself saying. "We'll deal with him later."

* * *

><p>And from far away, a cry of pain and helplessness was cried. Damon felt the sound echo in his heart.<p>

Elena.

Elena was calling him, and she was in pain.


	23. Sacrifice: Part 2

A/N Oh my God. I thought that kiss was going to be the death of me. Simply amazing, breathtaking and passionate :') I just wished the episode ended well for them, Elena's being a bitch-leading Damon on and then breaking his heart is wrong.

On with this story, which speaking of, I think it will be over soon. So please, enjoy these updates and review :)

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* * *

><p>"What are you doing to me?" Elena's eyes filled with tears. The pain was too much, almost unbearable.<p>

"I had to mark you," Klaus explained simply, "Connect your blood with mine."

Drops of blood were flowing freely out of Elena's body, and she couldn't do anything. The ropes binding her were hurting her, and Klaus seemed to notice because he tightened them even more. Elena yelped.

"Shh," Klaus stroked her cheek lightly. "It will be over soon."

* * *

><p>If Damon's heart could beat, it would've stopped the second he sensed that Elena was in pain. He tried to channel her like he once did in the Dark Dimension or call on her, but there was no reply.<p>

"She's afraid," A voice behind him said, and Damon turned around to see Stephanie standing with a worried look on her face.

"Channeling won't work when she's afraid," She repeated. "Her powers work with her emotions."

"What can I do?" Damon asked, he was close to tears. He was about to lose his fiancé and his daughter, but he didn't know what he could do. "There has to be something. A spell, any kind of help…"

"I already tried," Stephanie sighed helplessly. "I just can't reach her. I don't know why."

She paused for a minute, then her eyes widened. "Maybe_ you _can."

"What do I have to do?" Damon asked instantly.

"Trust me," Stephanie answered him simply. "If you do that, and if you believe that you can find her…then it will work."

Putting trust in a witch wasn't on Damon's to do list before he met Elena. But now, it was almost something natural.

The two moved closer to each other, and Stephanie took out a pocket knife from her jeans. She made a cut into Damon's wrist, then she connected their hands together.

"Make a cut on my wrist," Stephanie told Damon. The latter was briefly confused.

"It's okay."

Nodding his head, Damon made a cut on Stephanie's wrist and the drops of blood on both their wrists merged with each other. Damon hissed.

"It's my blood merging with yours," Stephanie explained. "What you're feeling is the strength…and the unnatural merge. You know that vampires and witches are enemies by nature."

Damon nodded, and Stephanie closed her eyes. "I need you to focus on Elena. Right now, we are sharing a mutual aim."

Damon closed his eyes, focusing on Elena while Stephanie mimicked a spell. He could feel their hands shaking, and then a clear picture came into his mind.

"What are you seeing?" Stephanie asked, her eyes still closed and her breathing uneven.

"I can't say," Damon furrowed his brows. "There's…something dark," He continued, nodding his head. "And round. And it's kicking."

"What else?"

"I can see Elena now," He gasped. "She's tied. Klaus is doing something to her, I can't figure out what." His teeth clenched together. "I can't recognize the place…God…"

"I'll try harder," Stephanie promised, and she chanted the spell with more urge.

"Oh God," Damon tightened his grip on Stephanie's hand. "It's the Dark Dimension. The sea that surrounds the Dark Dimension…There is a cave there."

"Thank you, Stephanie," Damon said, "I'm very grateful."

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Stephanie called after him. "I can do a spell to get us there. It's a 4 hour plane from here to the Dark Dimension's entrance, Damon. The moon will be ready for the sacrifice in less than three hours!"

* * *

><p>"Can I at least have something to drink?" Elena begged, her lips were dry and she was sweating.<p>

Klaus sighed. "Good thing I always carry water." He went next to her and putting an arm under her head, he pushed it up so that she could drink. There was no way in hell he was going to untie her for a minute.

"Thank you," Elena said desperately and she downed half the bottle in a second.

"Hmm, let's see," Klaus turned the weak Elena so that she could look at him. He examined the wounds he had done on her shoulder.

"Please, don't hurt me again," Elena begged as his eyes locked with the carvings he had made himself.

"Those carvings," He said, ignoring her, "Tell the story of how I will gain power again. This already happened once, Elena…" He sat down beside her. "There was another doppelganger before you, and besides Katherine."

"Yes, there was," He repeated again. "She was a fifteen year old girl. You see, she was supposed to die," He continued, taking a lock of Elena's hair and twirling it around his finger lazily, "But she didn't. Someone else got her. What I didn't know was that this fifteen year old girl was pregnant. I thought that I lost my chance in getting a doppelganger back."

"What happened to her?" Elena asked, bracing herself for a harsh truth.

"I killed her," He said simply. "Apparently, she died when she was giving birth. An assistant was a vampire, and he couldn't let her die. So, he turned her into a vampire, I staked her myself when I found her."

"Her child obviously lived," Elena stated. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"Good," Klaus praised. "Yes. She lived, and she carried on your bloodline. Think of it this way, Elena, would you rather die and stop the bloodline, or would you rather see your grandchildren and great-grand children in my hands? I know you'll live that long, Elena. I know that you are planning to become a vampire sooner or later."

"I don't…"

"Oh, for God's sake, Elena," Klaus laughed. "If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever."

He paused. "That's not going to happen, anyway."

"How are you going to do it?" Elena choked out, tears forming in her eyes.

"Do what, sweetheart?"

"Kill me."

Klaus took out a wooden stake. "I don't know if you noticed, Elena, but your baby is a special gift…and the witches may have had a part in it, but Damon is still the father."

Elena's eyes widened as realization hit in.

"Did you honestly never consider that your baby is indeed a half-vampire?"

He didn't wait for an answer, though. "This stake is made of the vervain herb. Completely. When the vervain gets inside your system, your little precious girl isn't going to fight it since she is too weak. Then, I shall kill you the traditional way a vampire dies…"

Torture.

Klaus was going to torture her child. The thought of her baby in her poisoned blood made her want to kill herself and save her from the pain. She knew what Vervain did to vampires…

* * *

><p>"Stefan Salvatore," Alaric said. "Are you Damon's brother?"<p>

"Yes, I am," Stefan confirmed.

"That's the reason you weren't staked," He continued. "I just hope you can tell us where Klaus is. He's got your brother's fiancé."

"Elena? Elena's in danger?"

"Yes," Alaric confirmed. "We know that you had been doing Klaus's dirty work and you were the one that hurt Elena in the Dark Dimension in the first place, but I'm asking you nicely to lead us to him. Otherwise, I'll have to use harsher methods."

"I don't respond well to threats, little human," Stefan groaned, his vampire face immediately taking over.

"And I have a short temper in general, Mr. Salvatore," Alaric continued calmly, not even flinching at Stefan's bared teeth. "Now, are you going to help us?"

* * *

><p>"Stefan told us that you promised him you'll give him Katherine back," Elena swallowed thickly. "Is this true?"<p>

"I had to make him help me for an incentive," Klaus shrugged. "Katherine's dead. She has been dead for over fifty years now. I hunted the bitch down and killed her. All there's left of her is her corpse in the tomb she was supposed to die in much before."

Even though Stefan didn't bring her anything but harm, Elena still felt fury rising in her body. "You deceived him."

"After all he did to you," Klaus shook his head in disbelief. "You still care?"

"It's because I'm human," Elena shouted, "And I care."

"Look where it gotten you," Klaus spat. "You're still going to die."

He inched closer to her. "Time's up, princess. I'm sorry it had to be done this way." His voice was unapologetic, and at that moment, Elena wished her powers would just destroy him. She cried out Damon's name and begged for help, but no one came. She was all alone, and she was going to die. Die to satisfy someone else's needs.

He grabbed her chin. "Thank you, Elena."

Elena let out a scream when the stake was harshly drove to her chest, and she almost felt the vervain poisoning her blood and her little girl. She felt her move inside her, and the pain worsened. She wasn't even breathing properly now.

She could barely get another word out before she felt the same stake taken out of her, and then it was suddenly driven into her heart coldly.

* * *

><p><em>Cliffhanger ;P It was so hard to write this! Hope I didn't disappoint much ;)<em>

_Please Review! The end is near :S_

_**Also, I started a new story called "Unnatural love". Check it out if you want to and please leave feedback. Don't forget to Like my facebook page :)**_


	24. Heartbreak

Agony.

Elena didn't even know what was going on except that she was in pure agony. She could feel the inner parts of her trying to fight, fight against death. Her blood was running cold, and the stake…The stake in her heart…

She couldn't even breathe, and she had lost control over her body. Her vision started to blur, seeing nothing except darkness.

* * *

><p>White light filled her vision.<p>

Was this Heaven?

Elena wandered around, feeling lost and in some kind of a trance. And then, she bowed down when something warm and tiny pressed up against her backside.

"Hey there," Elena heard herself say, and then there was a girl. Or more precisely, an angel. She had blue eyes and silky brown hair, and perfect pink lips, that matched with her olive skin.

"You have to go back," The girl urged. "You do not belong here."

"I can't go back," Elena said. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," The girl replied, squeezing Elena's hand. "He's calling you. He needs you more than I do."

"Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me, mommy?" The girl's eyes filled with tears. "I'm Cheryl."

* * *

><p>"God, Elena wake up!" Damon was shaking Elena, his tears staining her dress. The scene was too much to bear. There was too much blood, too much innocence lost…<p>

Klaus had fled, after cursing them to the fiery pits of hell and saying that the sacrifice didn't work. Damon's eyes filled with tears, his fiancé and daughter were dead and there was nothing he could do about it. Klaus had taken their lives without remorse.

"You have to help me," He begged Stephanie, who was crying as well. "Please, I'll do anything-just save them! Please!"

"I c-can't," Stephanie wept. "I can't…"

"God no!" Damon sobbed, taking Elena's hands in his. "God, I'm so sorry Elena, this is all my fault. Please, Elena…"

His heart ached when he saw the tear tracks on Elena's face indicating that she was in pain before her death.

"I'll kill him," Damon swore, "I'll fucking kill him!"

"You have to remain calm, Damon…"

"Calm? Look at them!" Damon screamed, turning to look at Elena. "They are dead! Because of him! Both of them!"

He kneeled next to the stone table Elena was still in and rested his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry, baby. I love you," He said, rubbing his cheek against hers and kissing her on her lips. "Please…forgive me."

Heartbroken by the scene, Stephanie realized that Damon needed to be alone. She silently left the place, leaving Damon alone.

* * *

><p>Freeing Elena from the restraints, Damon picked her up, his eyes filling with tears once more when he thought about the fact that he was carrying her <em>dead <em>body, not her energetic body full of life. Her belly, his kid, was full of blood.

She was so cold.

And then, her fingers twitched.

And again.

Again.

Until slowly, they locked with his.

"D-Damon?" The girl choked out, tears in her eyes.

"Oh God, Elena!" He cried, tearing into his wrist immediately and giving her his blood. He didn't even give her the chance to swallow because he was hauling her against his body, stroking her cheek, touching her everywhere to make sure that she was real.

He couldn't tell her how much he loved her. No words could describe it.

"Shh, shh," He held her gently, trying to stop her from crying when he was crying more than she was.

"She's dead, Damon," Elena sobbed, "She's dead!"

"Shh, shh…"

"I saw her, Damon," Elena continued, her voice muffled with tears against his chest, "She's so beautiful, she looks like you, Damon, she has your eyes! Your eyes, Damon…" She almost choked on a sob. "I wanted to hold her, Damon, but she said that I have to go, because she wanted to protect me, Damon…She wanted to protect me and she did…But now I can never hold her, Damon. I can't…She told me that she loves you…"

Damon held his girl tighter, wiping the tears in his eyes as more followed. And then Elena drifted away in his arms, slumping to unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>They were in the first house Damon found, with Elena on a bed. Damon wiped his tears away when Stephanie entered the room slowly.<p>

"She's okay," Damon said, his voice muffled. "She's just unconscious. I don't know if she ever gets past this, Steph…I don't know if I'm going to…"

"I'm so sorry," Stephanie said, reaching out to hug Damon. "I'm so sorry. If only there's anything I can do…"

"No one can help us. Not anymore."

"I felt the connection, though," Stephanie suddenly spoke. "When people die in a supernatural way, there's always a bond…" She explained. "The bond between Elena and the baby was unbreakable. The child's powers were enough to stop Elena's death."

"What?"

"Your child truly loved Elena," Stephanie wiped a tear. "I felt the connection, the power when we entered the room," She repeated. "Elena was trying to save Cheryl. Cheryl was trying to save Elena…But Cheryl's powers overpowered Elena's. Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough to save herself as well."

"Oh my God…"

"I don't know if you believe in these things, Damon," Stephanie said slowly, "But Cheryl's in Heaven right now. And she is watching over you, begging you to take care of her mother. Elena will need a lot of help."

* * *

><p>Elena stirred in bed, looking at the strange surroundings. Damon was next to her, stroking her face softly as if he feared that he'll break her.<p>

"How are you feeling?"

Elena shrugged. "I'm not in physical pain."

She buried her face in his chest. "I can still feel her, you know. I don't want to believe that she's gone_. _I can feel her, she's warm and safe, and she's…she loves us…"

"Elena, you can't…"

"Damon, I'm not imagining," Elena sobbed. "I know she's there. She's there, do you understand me? She's there!"

She continued to sob in his chest, as Damon hushed her softly, holding her body close to his. He will not lose her too.

"She's gone…our baby's gone…"

* * *

><p><strong>Sad chapter, I almost cried writing it : Short chapter but I wanted it to be separately. Please leave a review, it was so hard to write :S Of course, answers will be given ;P**

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	25. New Start or not?

Sorry for taking long to update. I had to write it more than once, so please appreciate my efforts and leave a review ;D Also, check out my other stories especially "Unnatural Love" and "The Beginning of it all" (THe latter is a season 4 prediction sort of)

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* * *

><p>Over the next few days, Elena fell into a deep depression. She started to lie limply on her bed, not wanting to talk to anyone, not even Damon. He and Stephanie were getting so worried about her. She refused to eat, therefore her already thin body started to look even thinner, making her figure almost skeleton-like.<p>

"Elena, you can't keep doing this," Damon said that morning when he found her in a semi-sleep state, dark circles forming under her eyes, her hair tousled and her body weak. "You can't. You're going to kill yourself. You have to eat."

"I can't," She said quietly. "I can't eat."

"Yes, you can," Damon urged, giving her a plate with two pieces of toast and a few slices of bacon. "You must."

"Take them away from me," She turned away, pushing the dish away from her. "Bacon isn't good for pregnancy. I can't eat bacon. And I'm not hungry."

* * *

><p>"It's always the same, Stephanie," Damon said helplessly when Stephanie came to see Elena. "She won't eat. She won't wake up. She won't do anything. And she's always repeating the same things; she still believes that she's pregnant…"<p>

"Damon, you have to make her move on," Stephanie urged. "I don't know…take her away from here, go to Europe for a few months, for example…"

"It's not that simple, Steph," Damon said, "But I'm tired of watching her weakening by the second. I can't. It's not right. And she keeps saying that the baby is still alive…is there a possibility? Or is it just her imagination, her emotional attachment?"

"There's no way she can be alive, Damon, I'm sorry," Stephanie said sincerely. "The baby's life-force went into Elena's."

"Life-force meaning soul?"

"Yes," She nodded her head, confirming.

"There is such a thing then."

"Could be," Stephanie shrugged. "Magic is a serious issue, Damon. I'm a believer, but I can't witness for something I'm not sure of."

* * *

><p>"1,500 vampires," Alaric Saltzman announced, "90% of them were staked on the place. These 10%," He grabbed a female blonde vampire from her hair, yanking her forward. She was still weak with the vervain torture she had been getting like the other prisoners.<p>

"These 10% were brought to be punished, but now their time has come."

The blonde vampire looked vulnerable. She didn't even try to fight back, instead she pleaded to the man assigned to stake her, "Please, don't kill me. I've never once took a life, sir. I lived on animal blood; I never once hurt a human being."

But her pleas were ignored. The people watching applause when the vampire turned grey, ashen as death.

* * *

><p>"That's it," Damon blurred into their bedroom and grabbed Elena's arm. "We're getting out of here."<p>

"No," Elena objected, remaining frozen on the bed. "I don't want to leave."

"Elena," Damon said calmly, sitting on the bed next to her. "You've been through a lot these last months. We have to move on. She's not coming back, Elena. She is what kept you alive. She would want you to live your life to the full."

"No," Elena objected. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Elena, please," Damon pleaded, cradling her hands in his own. "You can't do this to me. You can't leave me alone. I need you."

"Why are you saying this to me, Damon?" Elena sobbed, "Why are you hurting me like this? She's not dead, Damon. I can feel it. You can't, Damon, but _I _can. _I _carried her for five months; _I _can feel both of our powers bonding. I can feel her."

He reached out for her, cradling her head gently. His thumb stroked her tears away and he pressed a light kiss on her forehead as he whispered soothing words in her ear. Elena leaned in, welcoming his touch.

"Stay with me for a while?" Elena pleaded, "We'll go wherever you want. But right now, I just need you here with me."

Damon couldn't resist her. He placed her head on his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her. "I'll be here, princess. Sleep if you want."

* * *

><p>There was a light knock on the door, and Damon got out of bed immediately, not wanting to risk waking up Elena. For once, she looked simply peaceful and at rest.<p>

When he opened the door, there was an African-American girl in front of him. She looked terrified of him when he first opened the door, and he looked confused.

"Bonnie?"

"Damon," She said, her eyes wide, and he knew that Bonnie was still afraid of him though she knew that he would never hurt her best friend. "Can you let me talk to Elena, please?"

Damon sighed. "Bonnie, Elena's not a prisoner here. You don't have to be afraid."

"You took her away from us to make her your food," Bonnie spat. "I did everything in my power to help you for Elena's sake, not for yours. To me, you're still Elena's captor."

"Things changed," Damon explained calmly, but he knew that Bonnie had every right to think that way. "I would _**never **_hurt Elena."

Bonnie's expression softened a bit and then she nodded her head. "I'm not worried about that anymore. I know that you'll die for her."

Damon nodded, moving slightly to the left so that Bonnie could get in. "She's upstairs. She was sleeping a few minutes ago, but I think I heard her wake up."

Right at that moment, Elena appeared going down the stairs, her hair tousled and her eyes still puffy.

"Who is it?" She mumbled sleepily, but then as she saw Bonnie, Elena put her hands over her mouth and ran straight to her best friend's arms.

"Elena!" Bonnie cried, holding her friend tightly, squeezing her. "Oh God, Elena, I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too," Elena said, wiping tears of happiness away. "Damon told me about what you did for us. Thank you so much, Bonnie."

"I'm just so sorry for everything that happened," Bonnie sobbed, her tight grip still around Elena's shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

"H-how is everyone?" Elena stammered, "And Caroline…Oh God, how's Caroline?"

Bonnie bit her lip.

"Oh my God, what happened to her, Bonnie?"

"She was taken away a few days after you were," Bonnie explained sadly. "We are thinking…" She let tears flow down her cheeks, but she pulled herself together. "We're thinking that she was killed. We captured the vampire that owned her, but there was no sign of Caroline. He didn't want to tell us anything about her."

"Oh my God," Elena wept, "Can you try and find her, Bonnie? You're a witch, for God's sake…"

"I'm not strong enough," Bonnie continued, "But I'm working on it. I'm tired of seeing destruction, Elena. First you, then Jenna, then Caroline…You were all taken away."

"What happened after then? What happened to my brother?"

"Jeremy decided we needed to act about it. He was so sad, Elena, he went to the point of suicide. But then, Alaric offered him to reside in the mansion the Council has, at the Lockwood's. Apparently, this house was built to protect humans in case of war. But the vampires invaded us, and soon lots of people started to die because of the lack of food."

"Klaus," Damon spat. "He wanted war. When Elena was in the Dark Dimension, that's all he mentioned. He wanted to own the earth and get rid of every human."

"It was a hard time," Bonnie sobbed, "I saw _children _dying. I saw women suffering in the hands of vampires. I tried to heal so many people, but I just wasn't strong enough…"

"Shh, shh," Elena soothed her, but Bonnie continued. "And then I had the emotional heartbreak, Elena. I thought that you were dead. And then, they told me that you were taken to the Dark Dimension, and I couldn't stop thinking about how horrifying it is… Jenna had just returned from there. There were bruises everywhere. Apparently they set her free because of some deal…"

"Because of Damon," Elena said. "Damon was the one that talked to the superiors to set her free."

"Oh," Bonnie simply commented, throwing a glance at Damon. "Anyway…and then when the humans invaded the Dark Dimension and you weren't there, I thought I lost you forever. I'm so happy you're alive, Elena…"

She then turned to Damon. "When are you going to bring her back to town?"

"It's still dangerous," He explained calmly. "Right now, I want to keep Elena out of sight. Klaus doesn't know that she's not dead. Mystic Falls is not safe."

"You're right..."

"How did you know that I'm still alive, Bonnie?"

"Stephanie's a great friend of mine. She managed to contact me."

"Does Jeremy know?"

"He didn't know that you died," Bonnie looked at her friend. "Lots of people don't."

"Tell him everything," Elena said, "He deserves to know."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Bonnie said her last goodbyes.<p>

"Protect her," She told Damon. "Don't let anything bad happen to her. I just hope that I'll see her in Mystic Falls…safe and happy."

"It's my wish too," Damon replied. "Take care of yourself, Bonnie."

"You need to kill Klaus, Damon," Bonnie said, ignoring his last sentence. "You can't risk him knowing the truth."

"I know," Damon said. "I can't let her live in fear. It's bad enough that we're going through hell because of Cheryl."

"How is she doing?" Bonnie asked with a sad look. "I wanted to ask her…but Stephanie told me she's going through a tough time…"

"I'm thinking about taking her to Europe for a while," Damon swallowed thickly. "She keeps thinking that Cheryl's alive. But it isn't possible."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "But what if it is?"

"What?"

"I don't know, Damon. But I've known Elena my whole life. She's a fighter, and she's strong. What if she's right?"

"No, it's not possible," Damon shook his head. "I asked Stephanie. Hell, I even tried to listen to the baby like I used to do. There was nothing, no heartbeat, no moving…nothing."

Bonnie bit her lip. "Then maybe Elena's just going through a rough time."

"I think so. We both are."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Two months later<span>**

Lots of things changed since Bonnie visited Elena. Damon took Elena away from the house they had been residing in, and he kept his word and took her to Italy. There, it was peaceful and quiet, apparently the vampire invasion didn't occur there…yet. Damon knew that many vampires knew about Elena's pregnancy and Klaus's fight for her. He soon realized that he had to be more careful because any vampire could take Elena away from him and take her away to Klaus again, and he would really lose her if that happened.

Because of this, both of them ended up spending lots of time in the mansion he had bought for them, and Elena was getting her strength back. She was doing much better, though her wounds were still not healed. Damon made sure that Elena was happy in the house, and he did everything possible to help her adapt. Elena appreciated the little and big things Damon did for her, including the little flower bouquets he brought her every now and then and the long, beautiful and loving nights she spent with him.

Sometimes, he would still take her out to a restaurant, because he didn't want her to feel like a prisoner in her own house. However, Elena knew that the roads were not safe due to her appearance and everything about her, so she was always next to Damon, and in return, Damon's hand was always surrounding her waist keeping her against his body protectively, his eyes always darting around, ready to attack anyone who dared to lay eyes on Elena with a bad or vampire-ish intention in mind.

They were laying in bed now, and Damon was on top of Elena, capturing her lips with his.

"God, I love you," He mumbled against her cheek, his hot breath making Elena shiver. He continued to trail his lips down her neck, nibbling slightly at the soft skin, then his lips found their way to her collarbone and he placed an open mouthed kiss there. Elena smiled as he continued to trail his lips down her chest, and she felt him lift her shirt up in one swift movement. She smiled contently again when his chest, which was incredibly warm, pressed against hers, feeling him through the bra she was left with.

"You're spoiling me, you know," Elena let out a soft sigh when Damon's soft lips teased and tickled her a little. "Giving me all this."

"I told you before," Damon stroked her cheek. "You deserve to be spoiled."

She leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, fiancé."

"I plan to change that soon," He promised her. "I want to call you my wife."

"I'd like that," Elena said in a serious tone, "I love the sound of it. I do, but…"

"But what?" Damon suddenly tensed up.

"I want our wedding to be perfect, Damon. I want to be able to marry like any other average girl. I don't want to marry in places where there is war."

He stroked her hair soothingly. "I understand, Elena," He told her. "They are taking pre-cautions. We'll be fine soon enough."

"It's funny how you're taking the human side," Elena said, "Did I get under your skin like this?"

"Yep, you did," He smirked, leaning down to continue kiss the skin that he left off earlier. She let out a squeak when he kissed the space on her stomach, almost under her bra, and Damon took an advantage of this as he showered her with kisses. He was planning on kissing every inch of her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Why aren't you noticing me, daddy? Don't you love me anymore?"<em>

"_Of course I do! I love you so much…"_

"_I never stopped loving you. I want you to hold me. Do you want to hold me, Daddy?"_

"_Of course I want to, Cheryl. I dream of being able to hold you."_

"_Then why don't you want to believe mommy?"_

"_Because this is a dream, Cheryl. And I live in reality…" _

_He started to cry, kneeling down in front of the little girl. The little girl went next to him, towering over him, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't. Don't cry, daddy. You don't have to cry."_

* * *

><p>Damon woke up with a start. He felt moisture on his cheeks, and he realized that he had been crying. He couldn't help shake off the uneasy feeling. He knew that it was his daughter he was dreaming about. Elena was asleep, her backside pressed against his chest, and he loosened his grip on her carefully to be able to wipe the cold sweat.<p>

What if she was alive after all?

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><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	26. A little light

A/N Sorry for the lack of updates on my stories. I had my 15th birthday, **SPEAKING OF, JOSEPH MORGAN (KLAUS) tweeted me Happy Birthday on twitter! I was soo happy!**

**Anyway** and things were a bit messed up with my personal life and I was spending more wasted time arguing on Facebook rather than writing haha.

**I dedicate this chapter to and Cdaye8184, two very loyal reviewers ;) They simply deserve a shoutout, check out their profile/stories :)**

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><p>That night was horrible for Damon. He was feeling very guilty for not believing Elena, but at the same time, he didn't know what to believe. It could've been just a simple dream, just the desire he had to hold his daughter. But yet again, they were Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert, nothing could be simple for them.<p>

He knew well that if the baby was alive, she was still condemned for a hard future. He knew that Cheryl's fate was to destroy Klaus. According to the witches, Cheryl cannot be harmed by Klaus as a child, however, when she is older, her powers will not be enough to protect her from Klaus and she would've to fight him herself. Damon also knew that Cheryl's bond with Elena was not normal, it was beyond that. For one, Cheryl was the one that saved Elena in the first place.

"Damon?" Elena's tiny voice brought him back to reality.

"Hey," He said softly, turning to face her.

"What are you doing up?" She yawned, "It's not like you have trouble sleeping…" She smiled at the last statement.

"Just…a confusing dream," Damon covered, "I'm fine."

"What was it about?"

"Nothing. Just stuff from the past," He continued, not wanting to open the not-so-closed wounds.

"Oh," Elena said, "Well, are you okay now?"

"Of course," He smiled sweetly at her. "What are you doing up?"

"I had a confusing dream, too," She said softly. "About Cheryl."

"What was it about?" Damon straightened, eager to hear what's next.

"She was just asking me why we're giving up on her. She also asked me to hold her."

Those words confused Damon even more. It was the exact same dream, then. Could this really be a signal, something that showed them that their baby was alive?

Damon surprised her by holding her tight. "Elena…" He cried out helplessly, and in a second, he fessed up, telling her about his dream.

"Oh my God," Elena whispered. "Damon…"

"Elena, I do not want to get our hopes up," He said, "That's why I kept it from you. I wanted to protect you from it…I'm so sorry, Elena. I should've believed you…"

"Damon, I understand why you didn't," Elena looked at him compassionately. "We've been through a lot…"

Damon held Elena closer to him. "I can't ever go through that kind of pain again, Elena…Seeing you dead…and my baby gone…" His blue eyes were watery and vulnerable now, and Elena shushed him, tightly hugging him.

"I'm determined now, though," Damon said, his voice serious and clear. "I won't let anything happen to either of you…And I trust you, Elena-I trust your instincts."

Elena grabbed his hand. "We're in this together, Damon."

* * *

><p>Weeks passed. Things were not getting any easier. There were no other signs that their baby had a chance of survival, and this resulted in a lot of heartache again, though Elena was ready to fight till the nine months passed. Things were not getting any better with the vampire-human war going on, and lots of teenage girls and women were being mercilessly taken as vampire slaves, and Elena shivered at the thought. Sure, her story ended up sweetly, because Damon loved her more than he loved himself. But when she thought of the humans in the Dark Dimension, that were beaten and fed on mercilessly, and when she thought about the girl from Europe at Vladimir and Duncan's residence, her heart ached. Too many people were getting hurt.<p>

Her thoughts ran to Larissa, Damon's housekeeper when she was still just a property to Damon. She didn't even know what happened to her. Larissa was the one that brought her to Damon after the good advice she had given her. She owed that woman.

"I just wish this will be all over…"

"It's all Klaus, you know," Damon explained. "He hates the human race so much."

"There must be something that can stop him," Elena continued, "He can't just kill everyone." She stared at the little kids on the television screen, who were crying helplessly. Her heart ached.

"During the months you spent in the Dark Dimension, there were other vampires that fought for human rights," He continued, "I heard them talking about him. But everyone said that Klaus is unstoppable…Unless, well…" He stopped, thinking about their baby as the only way to kill Klaus. His heart swelled and his stomach churned. Elena nodded, understanding.

"Do you think he will find out about me?" Elena asked him after a while, as Damon's hand gently stroked her hair.

"I don't know, Elena," Damon sighed, "But I will do everything I can to make sure he doesn't."

"What do you think will happen if he finds out I'm not dead?" Elena shivered, "I get it…He would try to kill me again. But what about _you_?"

Damon tightened his grip on her. "Klaus's unpredictable, Elena." That was the safer choice, right? He couldn't tell her what Klaus would do. Not only that he'd kill Elena again, but he would also turn Damon into a monster, or give him some kind of painful ultimatum.

"Do…" Elena opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly, she paled.

"Elena?" Damon sensed that something was wrong, and he grabbed her hand gently, to keep her still. She didn't speak to him.

"Elena?" He called again, but Elena's eyes were blank. Her face was pale as a sheet, and she felt a wave of nausea.

"I don't feel so good," Elena mumbled. "I feel numb…Damon, where are you? I can't see…"

Damon squeezed her hand, "God, Elena, what's going on?"

"My stomach hurts," Elena whimpered, "So bad…"

Damon froze. "Elena…"

She looked at him with teary eyes.

"I can hear movement," He stated, kneeling down in front of her. "The same movement I used to hear when you were pregnant…" Very slowly and gently, Damon reached out to stroke his fiancé's belly. "I can hear her, Elena."

"Oh my God," Elena gasped, tears of happiness trailing down her cheeks, her hands reaching to grab Damon's shakily as he guided hers on her own belly.

"She's truly special," Damon said, "She says she loves you, Elena. She wants to spend time with you soon."

"I love you too," Elena wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I love you so much, baby…"

"She says she loves her daddy as well," Damon continued, "She's telling me that I'm a good person."

"Damon," Elena sighed happily, reaching out to hold him close. "Thank you for everything."

"No, Elena. Thank You," He caressed her cheek lightly. "You're the one who changed me."

* * *

><p><span>1 month later<span>

"No, I like this one!" Elena whined at the section of the baby clothing. "Look, it has flowers on it."

"Well, this one has teddy bears," Damon argued. "And yellow is nicer than pink."

"But baby girls love pink!" Elena complained, and at that Damon laughed. She was being so serious, it was so cute.

"Mrs. Salvatore, why so glum?" He teased her, "We can buy both."

"Are you planning on spoiling Cheryl the way you spoil me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Mhm, yeah," Damon placed a kiss on her browbone. "What do you think, Cheryl?" He whispered to the unborn baby. It was truly amazing how he had the ability to hear her speak.

"See? She likes being spoiled too."

Elena laughed. "Stop being cute, Count Dracula."

"That hurts," Damon groaned playfully and backed her up against the wall. "I'll have to make mommy pay now, have I?"

"Damon, stop, we're in a shop," Elena blushed when Damon kissed her neck.

"So? Why can't I kiss my fiancé in public?" Damon pressed a tighter kiss on her skin. "I'll make you pay…after you've given birth," He winked at her and she chuckled.

It was amazing how much things were simple during that month. After they learned that Cheryl was okay, Damon made sure that Elena and his daughter got the best of everything they wanted. They bought their baby little gifts and clothes, and they were even planning on decorating a room for their child. Elena wanted to stay in Italy since everything was friendlier, though everyone knew about the existence of vampires. Damon kept a low profile as much as possible, though he was clearly suffering because he couldn't get into the bloodbank easily since lots of the guards and people wore or ate vervain. Sometimes, he'd drink animal blood instead.

Before her pregnancy, Elena volunteered to sustain him, and he had the ability to make it pleasurable for her too so he wasn't worrying. But with her being pregnant, he knew that Cheryl was already taking a lot of blood, like every baby does. He didn't want to continue to take her blood, he wouldn't risk her diagnosing anemia.

Elena was weeks away from giving birth now, and Damon wanted to be there for her in any way possible. He wanted to be there when Cheryl arrived in this world.

"No," Elena had complained, "Why do you want to torture yourself like that? You know that there will be blood…besides, I won't be alone, Stephanie will be there."

"Shh, stop worrying," Damon assured her. "I wouldn't have told you if I can't do it. But I can."

And after a feather light kiss on the lips, Damon reassured Elena that they will all be okay.

After the baby shopping, they returned home, exhausted. Elena slumped on the chair, her big bump exhausting her. She was feeling very sore lately and bubble baths were her relief.

"I'll go have a bath," She told Damon, "My back's so sore…"

"Sure," He kissed her forehead. "Am I invited?"

His smirk was wide and Elena smacked him playfully.

A few minutes later, though, he heard her call his name. "Damon, I bought a new shampoo, do you mind getting it for me? I think I left it in a plastic bag in the car."

"Sure," Damon called out, walking outside to grab the bag.

He had barely walked a few meters away from the door when he felt a large impact on his head.

* * *

><p>Elena sighed. How long does it take to get a plastic bag out of a car?<p>

"Damon," She called in annoyance. "I'm not in the mood to play."

No answer.

"You're going to make me dry and get new clothes," She whined, "And I'm not even done yet."

No reply.

She sighed, drying her hair, disgusted by the smell of water in it. She tightened a bathrobe around her body.

"Damon?"

This time, Elena got worried. "This isn't funny, Damon."

She walked out the door slightly.

A scream escaped her lips.


	27. Pain

A/N I know I left a mean cliffhanger…and to warn you, I left another one in this chapter.

**Thanks Courtney (Cdaye8184) for Beta-ing this chapter ;D You're always a great help, thank you, check out her awesome stories.**

Just as a side note, this story will be wrapped up soon. I think 3-5 chapters more, so maybe another few weeks of updates.

Thanks everyone for supporting. :)

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><p>It all happened too fast. The moment she stepped out of the door, there was a swift, rapid movement. Then, she felt something-someone grab her, and a scream escaped her lips. She felt pain, something sharp being inserted in…her arm? She wasn't sure. Then, she felt numbness, and darkness seemed to overwhelm her.<p>

* * *

><p>Elena took in a sharp intake of breath which immediately turned to panic when she found herself restrained. She was lying on a bed, her arms pinned tightly above her hands, a rope bounding them together. She looked around, but the surroundings were unfamiliar.<p>

Breathing in sharply, Elena struggled against the ropes, but they just only bit into her fragile, soft skin. She yelped when she felt a kick in her tummy.

"Shh, it's okay, baby," She whispered to the child inside her. "We'll get out of this, okay? We just have to find daddy."

The movements instantly stopped and Elena tried to focus, using her power to break free. After several tries, the ropes snapped in half, allowing Elena to free herself. She slowly walked to the door, her hands shaking.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Elena bit back a scream when she saw the monster's face-Klaus's face.

Elena's eyes widened in fear, her hands instinctively protecting as much as her belly as possible, backing away from him.

"You look alive," Klaus commented, taking small steps towards her as Elena took steps back. He finally had her against the wall and he pushed her roughly, slamming her to it.

Klaus raised his hand and played with Elena's hair. "I knew something was wrong the minute nothing worked," He added, laughing bittersweet. "I know that your daughter cannot be killed until she's old enough if she's born. The witches always protect their…Unnatural Children."

"Always? What do you mean always?"

"Do you think you're the first person in this position, Elena?" Klaus's finger trailed a path from Elena's cheek to her neck, then rested on her collarbone, drawing soothing circles on her skin.

"What do you m-mean?" Elena tried to take his hands off her but he only grinned, continuing to touch her.

"This happened with the Original Petrova's mother," He spat the name like a curse. "She had a child with a vampire. The witches protected her, making her untouchable…till her late teens. She had to know her powers by then."

Klaus avoided the subject easily though when Elena opened her mouth to ask something.

"I'm sure you're asking why I brought you here," Klaus continued casually, his cold eyes locked on her face. "The reason is that I plan to make you two my slaves."

Elena's body started to shake at the statement. She remembered the times where she had been Stefan's slave in the Dark Dimension.

"You don't own us," Elena's voice was high and determined.

"Of course I do," He continued, "The baby's mine. This war…it's between us."

"The baby's not yours," She groaned angrily. "Stay away from her!"

"Don't worry, Elena, I'm not going to hurt the thing for now."

_The thing?_

"Where's Damon?"

"Damon? Oh, he's unconscious in the cellar right now. I don't know what I'm going to do with him…I think I'll just kill him." He bit down on his lip, pondering the idea. I'll do him a favor, Elena, don't look so frightened. I took his fiancé, I took his daughter, I plan to kill you when the time's right…do you think he would want to stick around and watch?"

"Go to hell," Elena spat at him, "_Go to hell_."

"So beautiful when you're angry," Klaus smirked, "Such a shame that you have to die." He reached out to tuck a piece of stray hair behind her ear, but Elena jerked back, her eyes wide with anger.

"I might be your entertainment but you don't get to touch me," She spat, her eyes menacing. This only made Klaus to smirk but he backed away anyway.

"Change your attitude, sweetheart," He commented, walking out and locking the door behind him.

* * *

><p>"What have you done to Elena?"<p>

Damon had woken up with three other vampires serving him blood and wine. Klaus was there, smirking the usual evil smirk.

"She made you weak," He started preaching the same things Damon had heard when Elena was in the Dark Dimension. "I should've killed her from the beginning. Here, don't you miss this life, Damon? Don't you miss this…being pampered, having blood and sex bestowed before you?"

Damon looked down to see a young girl, who was maybe fifteen years old, at his feet, her face looking down on the carpet. She was shaking with fear, and she was dressed in rags, embarrassment and shame written on her face.

"Don't you want a taste, Damon?" Klaus continued his temptation, kneeling in front of the girl and grabbing her hair from her scalp. The girl let out a scream.

"Stop it, you're hurting her," Damon made a move to free the girl from Klaus's grip.

"Since when do you care? That girl-That woman, she screwed you up," Klaus said through gritted teeth. "You call yourself a vampire? You have the balls to call yourself a vampire after siding with humans? After wanting to keep a human baby?"

He grabbed the girl's arm harshly again. "Don't you want to sink your fangs into her flesh? Her blood is pure, Damon…The girl's never been bitten before…I'm offering you something that is almost rare nowadays. Go on, have a taste…" He sniffed close to the girl's neck. "The scent intoxicates me."

"I stopped feeding off humans directly," Damon continued, "I'm not going to hurt her."

Klaus let out a roar, a growl. "You'll be sorry for this, Damon. And you will be a warrior again-one way or another."

He grabbed the girl, who was now curled to a ball on the floor in fear, and hauled her upwards. "What's your name?" He ordered.

The girl's lips started to wobble.

He yanked her hair, causing her to burst into tears. Damon immediately stepped in and pulled the girl into his arms, gently embracing her.

Klaus shot the two a cold look. "I'll be back."

The girl laid limp in Damon's arms, closing her eyes as he cradled her to his chest. She was shaking with fear, and she was waiting for pain, for Damon to hurt her. Damon whispered soothing words in her ear and he stroked her face comfortingly, his heart swelling at the thought of this innocent human being abused like this. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head, rocking her gently, like he imagined himself to do with his crying daughter in the future.

"What's your name?" He asked her gently.

"Courtney," She replied, her fears easing when she heard his voice.

"You're okay, Courtney," He assured her, "I'm not going to hurt you."

He stood there with her in his arms and he continued to stroke her back lightly, simply holding her to calm her down.

* * *

><p>The door flung open in the evening. A muscular man entered her room without warning and threw a dress at her.<p>

"Make yourself presentable. Klaus wants to talk to you."

He did not accept anything as an answer, of course not, it was a demand. She was expected to obey. Fearing not for her but for her daughter that he could still physically hurt, Elena dressed into the golden gown that the man had brought her. The man, who was waiting for her by the door, led her to a huge room.

Klaus was there, sitting on his chair like a king attached to a throne. He gestured for the other man to leave and motioned Elena to walk towards him.

"Elena," He mock-greeted. "Always a pleasure to see such a beautiful lady."

"What do you want, Klaus?"

"Sweetheart, that is not the way you great your master," Klaus smirked, standing up and walking towards her. "You're my property now."

Elena remained silent.

"I brought you here because an acquaintance of mine, who happens to be a witch…found a problem when tracking and blocking you and your powers. Tell me, Elena…what can you do with your powers? Other than snapping my ropes in half." He smirked at the last sentence.

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Simple, because I own you."

"I'm not your slave."

"Cut the crap, Elena, and start talking or I'll make you."

"Why should I tell you…so that you can find out a way of stripping me of my powers?"

Klaus sighed a dramatic sigh. "I was hoping this could be a reasonable conversation. Guess I'll have to resort to my hard ways." He clapped his hands in pleasure, and then, at that moment, the door was flung open, and Damon was being carried by two guards. He was bleeding, and he looked hypnotized.

"The vervain is slowly attacking his brain," Klaus explained, "I have a way of torturing vampires with vervain. And if I bleed him out of it, he'll be just a controlled puppet. Now, Elena, are you ready to talk?"

"Don't hurt him," Elena pleaded.

Klaus cruelly drove a stake into Damon's arm, and Damon groaned in pain, but still nodded to Elena, instructing her to keep her mouth shut.

"You didn't answer my question," Klaus barked, "Answer me…Tell me what I want to hear. Or I'll kill him right in front of you."

"I…"

"Elena," Damon instructed, "Listen to me. Don't."

"I will strip you off your powers either way, Elena," Klaus barked, "So start talking. You'll save Damon pain and we can save time."

Elena couldn't talk. She had heard it many times: The power inside her, the witches…all helped to create the unusual child along with her love for Damon. She couldn't let him strip her off her powers. What if the child was affected? What if something bad happens if she's just a normal human? She was chosen for a reason.

"Talk you little bitch!" Klaus blurred in front of her, his eyes burnings.

"Get away from her!" Damon fought against the two guards holding him as well as the pain from the vervain.

"How about I do this the other way round?" Klaus smiled an evil smile. "I can still torture you without killing you, Elena. And Damon, you can still watch, right?"

He gripped Elena in an unbreakable grip. "This is how it's going to work," Klaus explained coldly. "If you do not answer my questions, I will torture Elena with this knife, slowly and painfully. If you still won't talk until then, I'll resort to other methods."

"I swear to God if you touch her I'll rip you apart…"

Klaus blurred to Elena, and Elena closed her eyes as he rushed over her, tripping her on her back. His hands went into his pockets, where the pocket knife he had mentioned was, and brought it down to Elena's shoulder. The blade had barely touched Elena when Damon instinctively blurred over, taking Klaus by surprise, and in a minute the two of them were on the floor.

Suddenly, a gasp of pain was heard.

Klaus had a stake stuck in his heart, and he was turning into a greyish colour, gasping for breath. That was not, however, what made Elena break down into tears and panic.

What made Elena break down into tears and panic was Klaus's hand, who was holding a stake that was puncturing Damon's heart.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I know, I'm mean. Drop me a little review...I might update sooner.**

**I have exams these two weeks, it's a busy week...But I can still steal two hours in the weekend so don't worry ;)**


	28. Fighting for life

**Thank you Courtney for Beta-ing this once again :D Check out her stories they're amazing like her! Cdaye8184 :D**

**I LOVED reading your reviews about last chapter. And don't worry, OF COURSE I can't kill Damon! :P**

**Thx for reviewing.**

**SEE IF YOU CAN CATCH THE TRUE BLOOD REFERENCE TRUE BLOOD FANS, a hint: Season 3 ;)**

**CHECK OUT MY PROFILE AND FANPAGE SOON AS I WILL BE LISTING THE TIMETABLE FOR UPDATES ON MY STORIES SINCE EXAMS ARE OFFICIALLY OVER THANK GOD :P**

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><p>Blood.<p>

Pain.

Screaming.

Elena couldn't think anymore. Her mind simply couldn't form any thoughts, not anything decipherable anyway. She didn't even notice the tears running down her cheek as she ran next to her lover and knelt down next to him. She didn't even notice the pain in her back and big tummy as she heard his soft whimpers.

"Oh God, Damon, no!" She cried, seeing his eyes closed, gasping for breath.

"Elena…maybe it's better t-this w-way," He choked out the words. "You'll be okay. You'll be s-safe…"

"How will it be better this way? I can't survive without you, Damon. Don't you dare die on me, okay? Don't you dare!" Elena cried as she caressed his cheek. "There has to be something I can do. This is all my fault, I'm so sorry…"

She looked at the broken pieces of the stake, the stake that was going to take his life away. The bits that were puncturing Damon's heart, making him die slowly and painfully.

"I have to get them out, Damon, you have to let me…" She lay knelled beside him as her fingers failed but urgently and desperately tried to grasp the bits lodged in his chest. She tried once, twice, earning a wince and a painful moan from Damon.

"Elena, you can't," He said, "It's dangerous either way. I can feel them scraping against my heart. I'll be gone soon." That was the weird thing about death, when it was near you accepted it regardless of what you were leaving behind; of who you were leaving behind. The pain Damon felt right now was worst than any other, he just wanted it to end. He was in too much agony to actually realize what he would be leaving behind and how devastated Elena would be.

"No, Damon, don't say that!" Elena cried as she dug her fingers in his flesh again, taking out the bits out, earning a painful cry from Damon. There were too many and it was putting Damon in too much pain, there was no way she would be able to remove each and every splinter that was lodged in and around his heart without possibly doing some serious damage. As Elena realized this, she scooted away from him on her knees, moving back only the slightest. She curled into a ball and cried. She cried for her broken heart, she cried for Damon, she cried for herself but most of all she cried for their baby. Damon risked everything to save Elena's life-their life, more times than once too.

"My angel," He reached out to stroke her cheek as black and dots filled his vision. He was holding on as best as he could but it was beginning to feel useless, the blackness continued to surround him, the world and Elena kept getting blurrier and blurrier and her voice seemed more distant with each new spoken word. "I love you. Just promise me that you'll take care of our baby for me, okay?"

"No! I'm not going to promise you anything, because you're going to live!" Elena screamed as reality set in once more. Damon was dying. Her Damon, her love. She sniffed and rubbed her nose quickly before placing herself as close to him again as possible, trying one more time to remove his grim reaper. Bit by bit, she plucked the splinters from his chest and the pile next to her grew a little more and more but it seemed as if she were getting nowhere. There were always more bits lodged deeper inside his chest, ones that made him go in and out of consciousness with every touch. His death was torturing but what she was doing just added to it. She stopped when once again, noticing how much pain she was truly causing him. She stopped and moved her hands to his face, cupping it with her trembling hands.

"Shh," He hushed her, and kissed her hands gently. "Tell me this, Elena," He continued slowly, his eyebrows furrowing from the pain. "Do you believe in God?"

_What?_

"What are you talking about, D-Damon?" Why was he asking her about this now? This was the last thing she thought would be brought up in a time like this.

"Just answer me, Elena, please," Damon urged her.

"Yes," She answered without hesitation.

"If you're right, how will he punish me?" Damon asked her, wondering. Wondering what would happen once his time on this earth ended. All the good he did in his life would never be able to make up for the bad, he was sure of that.

"God doesn't punish. God forgives."

"I don't deserve it. But I do hope for it," He said as he flinched when Elena took out another wooden bit.

"Damon, you are not a bad person," Elena continued, "You changed. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if you didn't. If you didn't, I wouldn't even be carrying this child inside me right now, so don't you dare give up, Damon. Don't you dare give up on us."

Then, Elena didn't know what came over her. All she knew was that she was feeding him blood from her wrists, and praying that her blood-and their baby's-would actually work.

At that moment, Stephanie entered along with Bonnie.

"Oh God!" Stephanie gasped seeing all the blood, but it was Klaus's moving corpse that caught her eye.

"The stake brought him down for a few minutes," Elena gasped out, "He's not dead."

At the same time, Damon was still feeding on her, the blood healing all his wounds. He backed away from her and in a few quick movements Elena had the final remaining stakes out of his body and those wounds closed in. Her blood had healed him, leaving only the traces of blood which were barely visible.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him with a shaky voice. It seemed too good to be true. A moment ago he was on his death bed, with dying wishes. She felt hopeless and for a few minutes, she wanted to die. She would want to die the moment that his eyes closed and his life ended. The baby would have willed her to fight, but she wouldn't have wanted to. That was almost the reality. She silently thanked herself for her quick thinking.

"The pain's gone," Damon choked out. "How…How can it be?" Damon was just as stunned as her. One minute he was going in and out of consciousness, slipping away from Elena and his child and the next he felt brand new, rejuvenated and very alive.

"I guess I'm not ready to let you go yet," Elena replied, it was now her time to do that smirk before capturing his lips with hers.

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><p>"This device," Alaric Saltzman held out the device in his hands, "Is similar to the one that vampires were captured with a few weeks ago. This device can detect any vampire within a country's density. My dear gentlemen, we have to end this," Alaric pointed at the stakes packed in each bag. "All vampires within that specific radius will be put into a kind of brain aneurysm for at least five hours. Agonizing pain. I don't want regrets or second thoughts…Stake the vampire in the heart and set the corpse on fire. I want to bring them all to an end. We will worry no more, this ends tonight. "<p>

He turned to a man in his twenties. "Are you ready for this, no regrets and second thoughts?"

"More than ready."

"If any of you have second thoughts while performing the task, remember that these vampires made your families slaves and made you live in poverty and pain," Alaric said through clutched teeth. He shot a look at Jeremy, who of course, had been through a lot because of his sister's abduction by vampires.

He nodded his head.

"The device will be activated in ten minutes."

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><p>Klaus's body was returning to a normal colour. Damon and Elena rose up from where they were and Damon stood protectively in front of Elena, despite the little bit of pain that he was still feeling. However, Stephanie and Bonnie came prepared.<p>

Together, they started to chant in Latin. Klaus stared at them wide eyed as pain coursed in his veins, and he immediately started to twitch on the floor, gritting his teeth. His eyes begged them for mercy, but they weren't going to show it-Not after everything that he did to them.

And then, another scream escaped Klaus's mouth when he felt throbbing pain in his head.

"The device," He cried out, "Stop it, I swear to God I'll rip you apart-"

The device was affecting him. Of course it was, he thought, the witches were going to juju him to death. No vampire had a chance against two witches-Especially if they shared a mutual aim in bringing an end to someone.

"Spiritum, est morte vampir, adistm, spiritum…" Bonnie chanted, her eyes fixed on Klaus's body. The latter gasped when he felt his body burning like he had just been exposed to the sun.

Their chanting grew faster when they saw his body burning, his legs turning to ashes. They started vanishing right before all of their eyes' starting with the tips of his toes and slowly disappearing bit by bit until nearly his entire legs had ceased to exist, nothing than a mere pile of ash.

Elena noticed blood running down Bonnie's nose and she instantly panicked, worried about her best friend's safety. Apparently, Stephanie noticed it too because she stopped her magic and turned to Bonnie. Elena's friend seemed in some kind of trance where the only thing that mattered was killing Klaus.

"Bonnie, you have to stop!" Stephanie shook her harshly after the third time of calling her name.

"No! Can't you see? We can kill him!" Bonnie growled, pushing Stephanie away from her.

"You're going to kill yourself! Stop!" Elena called out, and then Bonnie finally stopped, blood pouring down her neck and collarbone, her face white as a sheet.

"Do you think that this is strong enough to kill me?" Klaus spat venomously despite the pain. "Pathetic, weak creatures…"

Bonnie was about to move forward and Klaus laughed. "Go on, kill me. But let me tell you something, sweetheart, at this rate, if I die you die too..." he smirked, knowing that he was right. "I have to say you're stronger than I imagined. But not that strong, hence the reason I'm still here."

He then turned to Damon. "Do you really think that you'll get rid of me that easily? I will have that child, Damon. I can damn guarantee you that."

"You won't destroy any more lives!" Bonnie spat out and without warning, she shoved Klaus in the wall, a few bones breaking in the process.

"Is this how you are planning to kill me?" He continued to taunt her.

"Bonnie, stop, he wants you to do this!" Elena cried, stepping in front of her friend. "He wants you to get killed, he wants you to do this!"

"She's right," Klaus blurred in front of Bonnie and grabbed Elena by her hair. He arched her neck to the right so violently that she thought her neck was going to snap. "Damon, get the witches out or I'm going to eat this girl here," He spat evilly. "Go on, Bonnie. Try to kill me."

"He won't do it," Elena said calmly, "He needs me."

"I do not need anyone," Klaus shrieked, and without warning, he sank his fangs into Elena's neck.

She didn't have time to process it. Damon had Klaus by the neck before she could blink. Stephanie and Bonnie were on both sides, both desperately chanting the spell again.

Elena felt suddenly dizzy with the rapid movement and suddenly everything started to spin around her. Black and white dots filled her vision.

And then, to her horror, she felt liquid running down her legs. She slowly glanced down, expecting the worst but was faced with something that picked the worst possible time to happen. The liquid was clear, and the pain was starting.

Her water had broken.

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><p><strong>Once again thx Cdaye8184 :)<strong>

**Please Review :D**


	29. A little miracle

A/N: Courtney, thank you so much for Beta-ing it for me, she's truly amazing she worked so hard to get my chapter done! Thanks so much, hun. Check out her stories-Cdaye8184, you won't be disappointed.

I worked hard on this chapter cause I had so many ideas but I wanted to keep it real as possible. There will be more Daddy Damon in the next chapters though.

Please Review-**ONLY one chapter left after this.**

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><p>No, no, no, no<p>

God no.

This could not happen, not right now. She couldn't give birth there, in the middle of a fight, with her friends and her fiancé fighting for their lives. She couldn't give birth on the floor, unprotected; alone. She was planning to give birth normally at a hospital, despite that her baby was not completely human. Damon had promised her that he would compel the nurses to let Stephanie in too, in case of an emergency. This wasn't supposed to happen.

But apparently, it was happening, and something told her that her birth process would be fast. She whimpered in pain when she felt the first contraction, and a scream escaped her lips, causing Damon, Stephanie and Bonnie's unwanted attentions on her.

She didn't miss the shock on Damon's face as he blurred behind her, and it was then that she realized she was falling, but Damon's strong arms kept her from making contact with the ground. It still amazed her how he knew her better than she knew herself; how he knew her body's actions before she even had time to process them.

"Oh God, no," Damon exclaimed when he saw the watery area and his girl going limp in his arms unfortunately knowing full well what had happened.

Stephanie and Bonnie ran towards her, but Damon stopped them. "No, don't stop," He begged, he wanted Klaus dead. If Klaus got to Elena before she gave birth, he could kill them both.

"Take her away from here," Stephanie screamed in panic, fearing that her powers would just give up now.

But before any of them could breathe out a word, Klaus blurred next to Stephanie and snapped her neck.

* * *

><p>"Right there," Alaric told Jeremy pointing, "She's there. Bonnie informed me where they were going. But are you sure? Jeremy, you know that John Gilbert can't be trusted…" The older man said cautiously.<p>

"I have to try," Jeremy insisted, "He told me that this weapon can end an original's life. It's a dagger made of the white oak tree, the first oak tree that created vampires. The tree oak itself or its ash is apparently fatal to the Michelson's."

"Jeremy, you know this is a huge risk-" Alaric began but was cut off by Jeremy.

"I have my ring. It protects me."

Alaric sighed. The Gilbert kid was determined. "Fine, I'll drive you there myself. I told the council to take care of the vampire problem.1,800 are down."

"Just 1,800?" He asked.

"Patience, Jeremy. Patience."

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><p>"One witch down," Klaus announced smirking, wiping away his own blood.<p>

Damon rushed to Stephanie, trying to feed her his blood, but it was too late. She was dead, murdered in cold blood. An innocent woman who did nothing but try to balance nature, to fix what problems vampires caused and attempt to reason with them, even though it was in her blood not to. A friend. Someone Damon and Elena trusted; confided in. Dead.

He was still next to Elena before Klaus could make a move as she closed her eyes in pain, taking deep breaths as the contractions came every five minutes. She bit her lip to stop a scream when more pain followed, and tried to hold back tears when she saw her friend dead in front of her.

Moving in front of Elena and Damon, Klaus didn't show a hintof mercy even when Elena looked so weak and in pain while she was huffing and puffing her contractions' pain. Damon attempted to stand in front of Elena but Klaus shoved him away, sending him flying across the room. Bonnie knew that she could not kill Klaus using only her powers, but she could not let her best friend die in front of her.

Damon grabbed Klaus's neck in an instant, pointing a stake towards his heart, hoping that it would put him out for a few seconds at least, enough to get Elena out of there.

Then, before any of them could process anything, a young teenager appeared in the room. Damon held Klaus as he recognized the person and the teenager who was holding a weapon in his hands. Jeremy Gilbert.

Without any remorse or second thoughts, Jeremy plunged the dagger in Klaus's heart.

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><p>"Elena, we're almost there, it's going to be okay, I promise," Damon begged the girl that was fading fast in his arms. "It's okay, just stay with me, okay? Stay with me! You're strong, sweetheart. You can fight this" He urged on but it fell on deaf ears.<p>

She tried to nod, but the pain was paralyzing her body, disallowing her to control it.

"It h-hurts…" She whimpered, the tears flowing down her cheeks frantically.

He rushed to the next house he could find, in which apparently, people used to live. He set her down on a bed and held her hand, urging her to push. He knew that this was not normal. It had to do something with the baby not completely human.

"Elena, can you hear m-me?"

"Get me some candles!" Bonnie screamed, "Now!"

"Candles?"

"She's going to die!" Bonnie screamed, "I can't feel anything in her! No strength, nothing! If she continues to use up the little strength she has left she's going to die. I have to help her!"

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><p>"Elena, can you hear me? Talk to me…"<p>

"D-Damon," She cried, "I can't…"

"Yes, you can, take my hand," He urged her, and as Bonnie chanted the spell to help restore Elena's health.

"That's it, Elena you're doing good," Damon encouraged. "I can see her head! It won't be long now, Elena. Our baby will soon be here. "

"Awwww!" She whimpered, and then suddenly a small smile tugged at Damon's lips.

Gently holding the tiny, bloody bundle in his arms, Damon kissed his baby and put it in Elena's arms, ignoring all the blood that was in the room despite being unable to feed for a few days. The combination of fear and joy allowed him to forget the hunger. This was no time to think about his vampirism. Tears streamed down Elena's cheeks as she heard her daughter's cries, and she hugged her child with love. Bonnie wiped her own tears and was about to leave the room when Damon called her and allowed her to share their happiness. Elena stared at the infant in her arms as she opened her eyes. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she saw the bright colour of her daughter's eyes, bright blue like her daddy's.

"Oh my God, Damon, she's so beautiful," She said, holding out their little girl to him, "She has your eyes!"

"And your nose," He said, holding the baby protectively against his chest, unskillfully but gently, supporting her tiny head. "She's so tiny…"

"Her daddy will protect her," Elena said, "He will protect you just like he did with mommy…" She cooed, and the infant looked at her dad in response.

Damon's heart squealed at the sight, and he rocked the little girl lightly. He knew that he would cherish his angel forever. She was his little miracle, he never knew that a creature damned like him would be able to hold such an innocent human being. He had everything now. He had the love of his life, and he had a perfect baby girl. Damon Salvatore had everything.

He began to think of all the worry and pain both he and Elena had endured the path months with Klaus... and all the complications with Cheryl. Everybody thought their child was a lost cause but Elena believed, his fiancée had faith and his gut feeling forced him to believe her, he was lucky that he did.

"Welcome to this world, Cheryl Salvatore."

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><p>"She needs plenty of rest, but she's fine," Damon assured Jeremy when the latter came in the house worried out of his mind.<p>

"And my niece?" He asked him with eagerness in his voice.

"Perfectly healthy," He smiled, guiding Jeremy to where Bonnie was. Jeremy saw the tiny bundle in Bennie's arms as she fed her from a bottle and he smiled a genuine smile as the baby looked up at him with her big sea blue eyes

.

"Can I hold her?" He asked Damon, and the new father happily granted him permission. Jeremy held the little girl and stroked her cheek softly with his index finger, and the baby grabbed his finger with her little hand.

"What's her name?" He whispered.

"Cheryl," Damon replied, "Cheryl-Elizabeth."

"You took my mother's second name," Jeremy smiled, "Nice choice."

"Her second name was my mother's first name," Damon smiled," Elena thought it would be suitable when we discussed middle names."

"It is," Jeremy agreed.

"I wish Stephanie was here," Damon said sadly, "She helped us so much. We needed her to be here, she deserved to be here. To meet our miracle that is only here thanks to her…"

A long moment of silence was held for their dearest friend.

"Don't worry, Klaus paid for everything that he did," Jeremy assured him, "I was there when the light left his eyes."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Damon heard a small knock on the door, and he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the familiar red head in front of him. Stephanie was standing in front of him, looking perfectly healthy, a smile tugging at her lips.<p>

"Your blood worked," She smiled, "It healed me. Took longer than usual…but I'm here," Stephanie said, stepping forward to hug Damon. "Thanks for saving my life."

"No, thank you," Damon whispered in her hair. "For everything."

"Is Elena alright?"

"She's resting. Cheryl, on the other hand…she's still drinking in the surroundings."

"You're a lucky man, Damon," Stephanie smiled, "And a good man, too."

"I guess I have Elena to thank for that." He whispered happily before adding. "And I have you to thank for that as well. It wouldn't be possible without you, Stephanie. I hope you know that. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for me and Elena, and Cheryl.

"You are more than welcome, Damon." The witch smiled. "It's what I do. On the contrary, it was more so Elena's work than mine. She's the one who got Cheryl on this earth in the first place, I just helped keep her here."

"Which was equally as important." Damon reminded her earning a chuckle and another smile from the witch.

* * *

><p>"You did the right thing, John," The original witch said in John Gilbert's dream. "Giving your life for a weapon so that you can save your granddaughter and daughter from a risky life."<p>

"I wanted this war over for so long. I couldn't let Elena lose her child." He said. It was probably the only time he cared for somebody a great deal other than himself.

"You gave up your life for love, John. You deserve heaven." And he did, all of the bad he ever did in his life was erased the moment he decided to save theirs and to sacrifice his own. He was a true hero.

John Gilbert was found dead the next morning, and no one knew the cause of his death. Only John did, and the only regret he had was that he didn't have the time to tell his daughter how much he loved her. He knew about her pregnancy all along, he knew about her fate the second they didn't find her in the Dark Dimension like she was supposed to be. He had died protecting the baby he didn't know and his daughter, and for that, John felt pleased. He'd be able to watch over them from now on.

* * *

><p><strong>~~~1 Year Later~~~<strong>

No one could explain the happiness Elena felt when a year later, after the war between the human and vampires ended thanks to those endless devices, met her family and friends again.

It was a tough year in Mystic Falls. The devices ended lots of vampire lives', but humans were killed too in that fight. Human slaves were brought back and heartbroken families were reunited. The council agreed to live in peace with the remaining vampires who begged for their mercy, and after consideration, Mystic Falls created a vampire territory where vampires could reside and drink only from a synthetic blood that was invented by no one other Jeremy Gilbert himself. They realized that they had to live in peace together when the devices stopped being created due to the witches using lots of magic, which apparently was harming the true nature of a witch.

Damon joined the Mystic Falls founder's council aiming to keep the town protected from everyone and he and Elena resided in the house where Elena was first taken.

When Elena entered the house, she could not believe how much her life had changed since then. She remembered being kidnapped from that party she went with Caroline and Bonnie and ending up as a slave. She remembered him meeting her in the house for the first time.

"What's your name, girl?" He had demanded, not asked, as he stared at her face. She remembered how she was getting more and more scared by the way he was looking at her, and how she had bit her lip, but quickly thought twice as she knew perfectly well that it's better if she co-operated. "E-Elena," She had whimpered.

"Elena who?" He had demanded again, however his voice was lower, she remembered that he his voice was lower…

"E-Elena-Gilbert." She instantly added.

"Remove her handcuffs," Damon had ordered to the other one, she did not remember what his name was. She thought about when he had tried to talk to her.

"You have never seen a vampire before, have you?" He had smirked, but she was too scared to answer him back. "I understand that you are scared and that you don't know what is going on around you. It's my first time keeping a human here, too, and I hope we shall come to an agreement. But first, let's take care of basic things."

She sighed as she remembered her legs almost giving out as she had thrown herself on the new bed, burying her face on the mattress, using her arms as shields as she let the tears fall down her cheeks. At that time she was sure that she wasn't going to like it there. Then she remembered Damon, chiding her…

"Don't do that,"

"What?" She whispered.

"Cry"

She smiled ironically. Who knew that she would grow to love this man? That she would carry his child inside her? Not her, not him. Not anybody really but everybody knows opposites attract and even though Damon and Elena were completely different; they were perfect for one another. Soul mates.

As she entered the hallway, her baby clutched protectively to her chest, she took in the surroundings. The hallway she ran in to get away from Damon, the door she used to try to escape, the rooms she hid in because she was so afraid of him…

The kitchen where Larissa, Damon's housemaid, encouraged her to give Damon a second chance because somehow she knew that he loved her… It was thanks to Larissa, then. It was thanks to her that she gave Damon a second chance.

She winced when she remembered the months she spent in the Dark Dimensions, As Stefan's pet…

And now, over two, hell, maybe almost three years later, she was home. She was safe and sound, and she was entering this house-crying, again-but this time, the tears weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of happiness, because her angel had recently celebrated her first birthday, and Elena got her life back. A life with Damon and Cheryl Elizabeth Salvatore.

She had cried when she saw her blonde, bubbly friend again. Caroline had apparently been taken as a slave too, and she wasn't so lucky. Alaric informed her that she was dying when they brought her back to Mystic Falls. Apparently her master beat and almost killed her when he realized that they were killing all vampires. But when she saw Elena, the four girls-Jenna and Bonnie included-hugged each other so tightly that it hurt.

And then, right at that very moment, Elena was broken out of her reverie when Damon took their daughter away from her, kissed her head, and put her in the crib.

He had become the perfect father over the last year but he practically perfected it over the first night. He did everything from bathing their daughter to changing her to feeding her to walking her. He did everything and more than he needed to do. Elena caught herself at times not helping him-but watching him, amazing by him. Amazing by how great of a father he was. Her heart warmed when she had seen him cry the first time he held her daughter and kissed her, and he was so sad when he realized that he wasn't a normal, human father. Elena had told him that nurses advised fathers to wear a vest and hold their babies close to their hearts so that the baby could be familiar with the father's heart too, besides the mother's which they had gotten used to during the nine months. She saw his face darken as she realized that she had hurt him unintentionally, because Damon didn't have a heartbeat, of course. But it didn't matter to her. He was her daughter's father, her soul mate, the love of her life. And he loved them both so much, and he was so cute with their daughter.

"_Cheryl!" He smiled, "Come here, Cheryl…There, you're doing great Elena," He encouraged his daughter and his fiancé. Elena was holding Cheryl's arms lightly, trying to get her to walk. Cheryl, giggling like always, was looking at Damon's awaiting arms and she stumbled twice but kept walking to his direction._

"_That's my girl!" Damon said and caught her in his embrace, before holding her like a plane in the air, tickling her in the process._

"_Damon, be careful!" Elena chided, but Damon only smiled at her. "Hey, do you think I'd let my little princess fall?"_

_Elena smiled in return and watched him play with her, tickling her and kissing her cheeks, before turning to Elena and telling her, "Thank you for giving me a little miracle."_

"_You know, you had a part in it too," Elena smiled with tears in her eyes, "But you're welcome. It's the best gift I have given and received."_

And here she was yet again; mesmerized by Damon's actions and falling in love with him even more... although she didn't know how that was even possible. She felt Damon take her hands and guide her to the staircase, stroking her palm in the process.

She smiled as Damon put her on the bed and undressed her, kissing every inch of her skin. She tangled her hands in his hair as he stroked her face and told her how much he loved her. Oh how those words coming from his lips was the sweetest melody she could ever hear. It was truly music to her ears and it warmed her heart every time. She would never get used to such intense feeling-such passion.

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><p>Hope you liked it :)<p> 


	30. Wedding

A/N Wow, I reached and passed 300 because of you, readers. I can't thank you enough. Next chapter is the Epilogue and then it's a wrap up, so to me this is the final chapter since the prologue will take place a few years later.

I'd like to thank my great beta and friend Cdaye8184 for beta-ing my stories ;) Thanks so much girl, and check out her stories, they are amazing just like her.

Wedding this chapter, I loooved writing it!

Please Review!

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><p><em><strong>Bonnie's house<strong>_

"Elena, you have nothing to be worried about, you look absolutely beautiful," Jenna assured her niece as she spun in front of the mirror, checking her hair for the fifth time. She was wearing a beautiful blue butterfly pin, and her hair was worn in soft waves, a white veil covering the main part of her face. She was still wearing her underdress, and the butterflies in her stomach made Elena worry if she was truly looking beautiful or not.

"I don't get why you're so scared," Caroline shrugged as she continued to work on her hair." You've been through so much together. He would marry you even if you were wearing your pyjamas for Christ's sake."

The girls laughed at Caroline's statement, because it was true. What Damon loved her so much for, she still couldn't figure it out but she wasn't complaining. The things he did for her were amazing and the lengths he would travel to do it were crazy. She knew Damon loved her, and that was all that mattered today.

"Come on, I'll help you with the makeup," Bonnie offered, bringing her eyeshadow palette and gently turning Elena's face around. She chose a golden-brown colour, a colour they had agreed on, and patted it lightly on Elena's eyelids. It had a shimmer to it that twinkled and glowed when the right angle of light hit it, it was perfect. She chose a neutral coloured eyeshadow to focus on Elena's brownbone, making it highlighted and defined.

"Eyeliner?" She asked her again, to make sure that she wasn't changing her mind about anything.

"Yeah," She confirmed. "Be careful though, I don't want it to smudge."

"God Elena, calm down," Bonnie grinned, "Do you want me to put a spell on it or something?" She joked, but thought better of it when Elena seemed to ponder the idea. "What am I going to do with you?" She said, hugging her friend tightly.

Elena hugged her back. "Thank you for this, everyone. I honestly don't know what I'd do without any of you. You guys are my lifesavers and my best friends!" She looked around her, "Did Jenna take Cheryl?"

"She's dressing her," Caroline gleamed. "And she looks like a princess already."

Bonnie finished applying Elena's make up and smiled, "Damon will not stop looking at you tonight, Elena."

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><p><em><strong>The Salvatore Boarding House<strong>_

"Well, I can't say that I ever imagined that I'd wear one of these," Damon motioned at the very formal suit he was wearing. It was a simple black tux with a white vest to go with it. And of course to match the ensemble, he had very expensive Italian leather shoes. It looked perfect on him. He shone like the northern star.

"It suits you, for an old man," Jeremy teased. "Guess my sister really did get under your skin."

"Your sister is an amazing person, Jer," Damon assured him, "And I'm not just saying that because I'm going to make her my wife tonight. I'm saying it because she is truly special."

"I know," Jeremy smiled, "I'm glad that you two settled down now. I want the best for her, and I know that you love her and that you'll take care of her and my niece. And trust me, she'll do the same."

There was a light knock on the door, and Damon looked up, surprised. "I wonder who that might be…"

When he opened the door, however, he was shocked when he found Stefan, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked coldly. Brother bonds? Save it. Damon didn't want anything to do with Stefan, he made it obvious he wasn't welcomed at the wedding when he didn't send his brother an invitation. What the hell was he doing here now? And how did he find out about the wedding?

"I heard you and Elena are getting married," Stefan said, avoiding his brother's eyes. "I just came here to wish you luck. And I also know about my niece. I'm not here to beg you to forgive me for what I did to Elena, but I just wanted you to know that I've got your back. Everything I did, it was for Katherine, and for Klaus. They blinded me."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I came here to tell you that I freed Katherine from being Klaus's hostage. A witch helped me. Apparently, when Klaus died, the spell was easy to break."

"Katherine's back?" Damon asked wearily knowing full well what this meant.

"She's not a threat to you or anyone, Damon," Stefan assured, "She's a completely different person. Being tortured everyday by Klaus apparently changed her."

"Keep her away from us," Damon said sternly. "I still don't want you or that bitch next to my family. Not for now and definitely not without Elena's permission."

"I understand," Stefan nodded, turning away. "Goodluck, Damon."

* * *

><p>"Who was it?" Jeremy asked when Damon returned, looking a bit confused.<p>

"No one, just an old friend that stopped by," Damon lied, not wanting to go into great detail about his brother's appearance. He would not let his brother, or anyone screw up his wedding day. Stefan would not ruin his mood. He felt happy, he wanted this marriage, he wanted to be able to call her his wife and share everything with her. He wanted to decorate the house he owned the way she wanted it, making the house 'their house' and not 'his house'. He also wanted to provide his baby girl with everything her heart desired, not that he wasn't doing so already. Elena often teased him and told him that he was worse than a woman because he couldn't see a pretty dress or bow and not buying it for their baby.

"You're spoiling her, you know," Elena would say when they would exit the mall with at least five bags in their hands, in which, of course, there was always something nice for Elena too. "And you keep spoiling me."

"Well, she is my little princess," He would say, and then he would kiss her on the lips. "And I happen to like spoiling my queen too."

"Well you certainly treat us like royalty," Elena would giggle and kiss him and then their daughter.

"And that's because in my eyes, you two are," He would reply.

He finished straightening his suit and glanced at the mirror, sighing contently knowing that his life was going to change.

* * *

><p>It was Damon's idea and wish to get married in a church. Elena had told him multiple times that she did not want him to feel uncomfortable, but he told her that he believed that he was given a second chance. He wanted to take advantage of this by marrying into a nice chapel in Mystic Falls. It was adorable how things were, Damon was so in love with his fiancée that he seemed to forget what he was around her. He did everything a human did, everything she did. He even encouraged her to throw a big wedding party, and the reception was booked.<p>

The chapel was decorated with red and pink roses, to symbolize their love and when Damon entered, he took a deep breath. It had been so long since he entered a church. It had been so long since he felt pure, and not damned. Elena's words always filled him with courage when he started to feel like a monster, when he feared that his own daughter would be afraid of him.

"That's my biggest fear, Elena…What if I accidentally turn in front of my daughter? I don't want her to think of me as a monster, or a killer."

"You're not, Damon. You've changed. I wouldn't be here if you didn't," She would always say.

The guests, who were already seated, smiled at him as he thanked them and he went up the aisle, eager to see his bride.

Not more than two minutes later, his bride's limo stopped by the chapel and the soft classic wedding music played in the background. Elena was being escorted by Jeremy, and their little girl was standing in front of her, carrying their two rings, the symbol of their eternal vow. Caroline, Bonnie and Jenna were the bridesmaids; and they threw flowers along the red carpet.

He took her hand in his and rolled up the veil to kiss her.

The pastor mumbled something in Latin, and then it was time for their vows.

"I, Damon Salvatore, take you, Elena Gilbert, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." He slipped the beautiful golden wedding band over her tiny finger.

"I, Elena Gilbert, take you, Damon Salvatore, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." She knew that she'd be the only one that could get sick, but she didn't care. There were a lot of discussions to be made about their future, but right at that moment, she just wanted to live a normal life.

"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. That God has joined, men must not divide. Amen." The pastor finished, "You may now kiss the bride." And he did. Damon kissed her with passion and gentleness. He kissed her to seal their bond, their eternal life together.

* * *

><p>"Having fun, Mrs. Salvatore?" Damon came up behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from behind.<p>

"Mrs. Salvatore," Elena sung, sighing contently. "What a beautiful sound."

"It is," He said, kissing her lips gently.

"And yes, I am having fun," Elena smiled, "I just went to give a slice of cake to the men. You know how these things work-You have to feed the women, and I have to feed the men."

"Yeah," Damon smirked, "I know, I know. Where is Cheryl?"

"She's with Jenna. She told me she's eating tiny bits of food. Damn, that kid is mature for her age."

"She is," Damon agreed, "Guess she took it from her mother."

"You think I'm mature?" Elena asked.

"Elena, in the past two-hell, almost three-years, you handled a lot more than the average person. Don't tell me that a seventeen year old is not a child, because to me, you were just a little girl when I met you." Damon answered back honestly.

"I guess things change then, huh?" Elena smiled, capturing his lips with her own. "I'm not a little girl anymore…I'll prove it to you tonight." She winked at the last statement, before she shrugged him off. "Come on, there are other girls waiting to be fed by Damon Salvatore."

* * *

><p>Within days after their marriage, the dark boarding house turned into a magical place. Damon bought a new bedroom for him and Elena and they started to decorate Cheryl's nursery, buying her toys and suitable furniture. Elena laughed her ass off when she saw Damon wearing a simple white t shirt and shorts, painting the room himself.<p>

"Are you going to help or are you just going to laugh, stand there and look pretty?" He asked her, smiling himself.

"Looking pretty seems okay with me." Elena giggled. Of course, Elena helping him paint the room ended up in them tossing paint at each other instead of actually doing their job. However, within mere seconds, Damon cheated and used his vampire speed and the room was painted bright pink instantly.

Damon also bought a suitable kitchen, since the house didn't offer a 'real 'kitchen at all. He bought all the appliances, utensils…everything they needed and more. The parlour was also decorated with nice vases, books, photos of their family old and new, and small statues.

"It's beautiful," Elena said when they were finally finished. "We turned this to some kind of heaven."

"We did, together," Damon said, picking his daughter and cradling her against his chest. "I have everything I need now, Elena."

* * *

><p><strong>3 Months Later<strong>

"Mummy Ewayna!" The little girl squealed excitedly, "There is an ice-cweam van, can you pwease get me some?" Cheryl tugged on the hem of Elena's shirt.

"Of course I can, honey," Elena said, picking up her daughter. "What kind do you want?"

"Berry," She said, burying her face in the crook of Elena's neck. "Where's daddy Damie?"

"Daddy Damie is coming, honey," She said, "He's parking the car."

Elena bought her daughter a cup of strawberry ice cream and bought one for herself. She sat on the bench, waiting for her husband as she watched Cheryl play with a boy a few years older than her, and sharing her ice cream with him.

"It's amazing how much she has grown," Damon commented, and she whipped her head around. "Sorry that I startled you," He smirked, sitting next to her, before quietly adding, "Do you think it's true? That she's half-vampire?"

"I don't know," Elena sighed, she had been having that question for too long and she still couldn't figure out an answer. "She doesn't crave blood."

"But she's so mature and a fast learner," Damon finished off. "I guess we just have to wait and see."

"Well, it doesn't matter what or who she is," Elena said, "She's still our daughter and I'll love her just the same."

He cleared his throat and sighed, before changing the subject. "I met Stefan today. He came to sayhi."

"Oh?" Elena asked indifferently.

Damon stroked his wife's hand in understanding. "Don't worry, Elena, I don't really like my brother being here too. I can't just forget what he did to you. But he genuinely wants to apologize and meet Cheryl…I don't know, Elena."

"He's still your brother," Elena said softly. "I am willing to give him a chance if you are. You can tell him to meet us here if you like. And I get to meet my doppelganger, too…Yay!" She exclaimed throwing her hands in the air, her last sentence was a bit sarcastic, though.

"Katherine dyed her hair blonde," Damon smirked, "I won't take her to bed by mistake, don't worry." He teased, but it earned him a smack across the shoulder. His heart squealed realizing how much his wife had a pure heart. She had every right to hate Stefan, but she was willing to give him a chance to live in peace. She truly was an angel.

* * *

><p>It was a bit uncomfortable for Elena to see Stefan again after everything that he did to her. But Stefan apologized a hundred times, and he desperately asked her to believe him. The interaction between Katherine and Damon was not much, either. They had been apart for over a hundred years, and Damon held Elena the entire time, assuring her that Katherine meant nothing to him now.<p>

Katherine had asked Elena to let her hold Cheryl for just a minute, and Elena hesitated for a bit but complied when she saw how well Cheryl was interacting with Katherine. Katherine then told her her story and her baby which was taken away from her because she wasn't married. Elena couldn't believe that someone would do something that cruel liketaking their daughter's baby minutes after she was born.

"Katherine wants to adopt a child," Stefan spoke after a while. "I'm considering this a permanent change in my life. I've got my bloodlust under control, and I am more than ready to move on." And at that moment, it dawned on the married couple that Stefan really had changed, hopefully for good.

Damon never thought he'd hear his brother say those words, yet alone Elena. She smiled, looking at her husband and the people around her, realizing how much things change.

How much people change.

She leaned onto Damon, her little princess in her arms, and thanked God that her life was simply perfect.

* * *

><p>Please Review-Epilogue next chapter and it's a wrap up!<p>

Don't forget to like my facebook page: LiveBreathevampires' fanfiction


	31. Epilogue

A/N I'm seriously about to cry right now. This story is over-It has been a pleasure writing it since it was my first 'real' story after well…I improved my English and started to study literature at school. I hope that you like the epilogue, and check out my other stories :)

Thank you Cdaye8184, my beta and friend, for correcting this ;) Your work is always appreciated girl xoxo

* * *

><p><strong><span>Two Years Later<span>**

"I can't believe she's turning three already," Elena sighed as they picked out the balloons from the boxes. Damon was busy drawing nice faces on the balloons, but he turned to his wife.

"Cheryl is mature for her age…Sometimes I forget that she's just a child." Damon answered truthfully.

Elena took a deep breath before she looked into her husband's eyes deeply and profoundly.

"Is something wrong, Elena?" He asked in concern, he knew that look on his wife's face.

"Damon, you know what you promised me," She told him, "We said that we'll give two years time". That talk never left her thoughts. Ever.

At that, his brows furrowed. "Elena, we've had this conversation so many times…"

"But I'm certain now," Elena assured him, "I've waited two years and I still feel the same. I want to become a vampire, Damon…I want to be with you, forever."

"Elena, I don't want you to watch everyone that we've ever cared about die," Emotion clogged in his throat. "It's bad enough that I'll have to see my own daughter…" He stopped, unable to say anything more. "I wish to spare you from that sight." He continued after a few seconds.

"Damon, I'm ready, I want to," Elena pleaded, "I want to become a vampire…I want you to turn me. I want this between us."

Damon reached over to stroke her cheek. "I know that I promised you-"

"Then please," She interrupted, looking at him with her doe eyes. "Turn me."

He pulled her body to his, and buried his face in her hair. "If that's really what you want…" He sighed half-heartedly. "I want to be with you forever, I really do. I was just hoping that we'll give it more time."

"Damon, I'm turning twenty three in three months' time," Elena held his face gently in her hands. "I don't want to look any older."

"You're right. I get it, Elena. I'll do it. Just please, wait a few more days for me, okay?" He begged, knowing full well they'd both need closure with Elena's human self.

She opened her mouth to protest but then he scooped her up in his arms and threw her on the bed, before falling on top of her and kissing her fully on the lips. He ran his lips up her collarbone until he reached her neck.

"I'm going to miss this…" He said, licking at her sweet skin before giving her a gentle nip.

She half consciously arched her head back to give him more access.

"Please," It was all she said before he sunk his fangs inside her neck and drew enough blood to satisfy and pleasure them both; of course, being gentle and careful like always. She moaned as he licked the bite marks to soothe them and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Elena…we're going to be late," He said between kisses.

"Yeah," She panted back, continuing to kiss him.

"Oh, for God's sake," He mumbled as he tugged at her shirt. "There are more important things to do right now…"

* * *

><p>It was nice seeing her family and friends all together. She realized that she was truly blessed as she saw the guests in her daughter's party. Alaric and Jenna married a year after she married Damon, and they still resided in the Gilbert's residence. Jeremy, who was by then almost twenty years old, moved in with Bonnie, and they were ready to take their relationship to a bigger step. Her best friend Caroline decided to leave Mystic Falls with her new boyfriend Tyler, and she was working as a nurse in a hospital. Everyone that mattered to Elena had found their place in life; it made her so happy to see all her friends and family as equally happy as she.<p>

Stefan and Katherine succeeded in adopting a child, despite everything. Their baby boy, Sean Salvatore, was picture perfect and Cheryl had a great relationship with her new cousin, who was a year younger than her.

As Elena kissed her daughter goodnight, she turned to Damon who told her he'd make due to his promise.

He bit down his wrist and Elena drank his blood acceptingly, her mind set on the future ahead of them. No, not future-Eternity. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tossed her hair aside. It was her choice to 'die' this way, since she said that he couldn't taste her blood anymore.

Damon bit down her neck, drawing all the blood without any pain, holding her now weak body in his arms to support it. As he stopped hearing her heart beating, he pulled away from her and sat her on the bed. He curled up next to her, wanting to be the first one that she sees in her new life.

About fifteen minutes passed, and Elena's eyes finally opened. He let out a sigh of relief, and without wasting any time, he handed her the bloodbag he had prepared for her. She gratefully took it, but he did notice that she didn't down it in one big gulp like many newborn-vampires did. She seemed in control already, and he was planning to help her no matter what happened. He had faith in Elena no matter what obstacles they faced. He'd help her every step of the way.

He had warned her that it would hurt at first until the fangs came out, but Elena just smiled at him and told him that she was ready for everything, as long as he was by her side. He held her hand when she saw herself in the mirror for the first time, and assured her that she was even more beautiful than ever.

"You're perfect, you know?" He said, touching the veins that formed under her eyes. "This heart…It belongs to you. Just you…and Cheryl."

Elena wiped her tears away and kissed him with passion. "I plan to tell you that I love you everyday, you know that?"

"I do," Damon smiled, stroking her hair. "And I don't mind. In fact, I'm going to make sure that forever is enough to prove my love for you." He kissed her again. "But now, my love, I have some things to teach you about being a vampire…."

"Can you start with the best parts?" She smiled naughtily and suggestively, winking as her eyes darkened.

"What do you think, that was my plan," He said as they both blurred themselves in the bedroom.

* * *

><p>And a few hours later, when they were completely breathless, Elena's head rested on her husband's chest. She now knew what all the commotion was about-vampire sex was extraordinary-out of this world. Cheryl was now sleeping between them, her face close to Damon's hip. In return, he had one hand around his daughter and the other around his wife.<p>

And in his sleep, Damon wondered how the two most precious things in the planet had become his, because he didn't do anything to deserve such prizes, such…love.

He turned off the lamp, enjoying the sound of their breathing, and the sound of a happy and full life and peacefully drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>That's the epilogue and it's a wrap up :( Who knows, maybe I write a sequel, but if I do, it will be MUCH later so I focus on new stories.<strong>

**Special Thanks to my regular reviewers: Cdaye8184, , Vamp Chick 73, Moonwolflove, SalvatoreQueen, DamonIanForever, TinyFlyer02 and MUCH more, it's impossible to mention you all but I love you and thanks for the support.**

**Take care, and please review one last time.**

**Amy xxx**


	32. New Stories

Hey! First of all, thank you for your wonderful reviews-They made my day and at least I know that people were happy with the ending. I'm writing this A/N on both my finished stories.

Next Monday, Cdaye8184 and me are going to work on a collaboration story which will be loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. Please, do not hesitate to add me and Courtney (cdaye8184) on alert, and read her work because she's awesome.

In the meantime, I am also planning to write an AU, but NOT AH story, so keep an eye for it-It will be something different than I usually do (If I find enough inspiration).

Thanks,

Lots of Love

Amy


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